A Gathering of Leaders
by Esid
Summary: Sometimes, there are other ways to get a peaceful end than to go to war against all of your enemies. Though tensions run high between nations, an event is held in Ylisstol like no other in history. The Summit. The most influential people from all over the world have come to talk about peace...but there are some that plan on advancing their own agendas at the expense of this dream.
1. Phila I

This is a complete AU were King Gangrel never provokes Ylisse to go to war. There are a lot of big changes too. If you want to find out what they are you'll have to keep reading.

Remember to leave a review, favorite, and/or follow the story if you really liked it!

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 _Phila I_

The day had finally come. Months of preparation had been spent on making sure the next few days went flawlessly. Peace was on the line; the ultimate goal. Leaders from all over the world would be coming to the palace in order to ensure peace and create new opportunities for their people to grow richer. Needles to say, this put a lot of pressure on a certain Pegasus Knight named Phila. Her Pegasus Knights had been tasked with overseeing security and protection of all the VIPs that were going to be in attendance. She was personally going to be her queen's bodyguard as she'd been for years. She was humbled by the trust that queen Emmeryn had in her. She wouldn't be letting her down.

Phila had woken much earlier than usual that morning. With the added responsibilities she had for The Summit, as it was being called, she wanted to do some last checks before checking on the Exalt. The palace of the the Halidom of Ylisse was grand. Corridor after corridor, room after room, all decorated perfectly. She could see that she wasn't the only one that decided on an early morning. Much of the people employed were already rushing around, finishing off tasks or double or triple checking that everything that had to be done was done.

As she finished looking around, she stopped along the way to Emmeryn's room when she spotted a knight in blue armor. She recognized the man anywhere. Sir Frederick was his name. A stoic man that took his work very seriously, much like she did. It came as no surprise to her why he'd been chosen to look over Emmeryn's younger siblings, the prince and princess.

"Good morning, Sir Frederick," she greeted the man when she got just a few steps away from him. A safe and respectful distance.

The man turned to look at her, surprised by her sudden words. His expressionless mask disappeared for a moment as he gave her a small smile and a nod. "Morning to you too, Phila," Frederick greeted back. "I'm not surprised to see that you're already doing your rounds."

Phila returned the man's smile with one of her own. "It is imperative that this event goes without as much as a single loose end," she told him. "It is very important to her majesty. I can trust that you will have prince Chrom and princess Lissa ready by the time the guest arrive?"

"Of course," he told her with a great air of confidence. "Even if I have to drag them there kicking and biting, you have my word that they will be there."

"Very well. I leave you to your task." Phila parted ways with Frederick. That man was everything one expected of a knight working for royalty. From all the people working for the royals, he was the only one she considered an equal when it came down to getting results.

When she reached her destination, she was faced with a massive wooden door. It was tall and wide enough that a wyvern could be walked through it. Why that would ever happen, Phila didn't know. She didn't question architecture or interior design. Those were two areas that her expertise lacked. Instead of pondering more about it, she just accepted it. With a light knock on the door, she made her presence known to the figure behind it.

"Come in," a feminine voice called out.

Phila entered the room, closing the door behind her. Inside said room was the Exalt. As it was to be expected as someone with such a title, the room was incredible. Tall ceilings, huge windows that looked down to the city, the best tapestries and decorations one could ever think of were all there. She once had confide in Phila that most of the more lavish possessions in her room were gifts from Lords and Ladies, surely trying to get her favor. Still, it made for quite a sight.

In the center of the room was a small circular table with three chairs around it-one for her and one for each of her siblings. Sitting in one of them was Emmeryn. She looked as beautiful as any other day. She was reading some papers while drinking a cup of tea. Phila recognized the papers as dossiers she'd put together on the guests. "Good morning, your grace," she said. "I hope I'm not disturbing you. I wanted to report that everything is going ahead of schedule. We will be ready for the guests with time to spare."

The blonde woman turned her face and body ever so slightly in the direction of the Pegasus Knight, a sincere smile plastered going from cheek to cheek. "Ah, Phila," she said as she set down her cup of tea. "Good morning. I knew I could count on you with such a big task. Please, take a seat and drink some tea with me." She waved her free hand towards a chair that was just besides her.

Such a thing would be out of the question for someone of Phila's status. But after so many years of developing their relationship, Phila knew that no amount of protesting from her part would change the mind of the queen. Who was her to defy her? "Thank you, your grace," she told her. She moved over to the chair and took a seat. She took hold of the tea pot and filled up a cup for her and topped off Emmeryn's. _Gods know that she would try to serve one for me_ , she thought.

"I've been reading through this files you sent me," Emmeryn said. "They are very detailed and there are a great deal too many. Would you be so kind as to help me with them?"

Phila knew that the files were extensive. She'd compiled all known information of the guests that were to come. Others had told her that she was taking things overboard, but she would have none of that. This was an easy task for her. As she'd been the one that made them, she knew the contents of every single one of the files." Very well, your grace." She took the files that were on the table and looked at them to see which ones were present.

"From Regna Ferox, we will be having three guests. Khan Flavia is the current reigning Khan. She commands the western part of Ferox. She is as tough as a warrior can get. They say she can be as kind to people as she can be fearsome to her enemies.

Representing the east, Khan Basilio will be here. He is a very renowned warrior. Despite his age, it's said he is unbeatable in combat. As a leader, he is very relaxed. Perhaps too much so. Until recently, he was the reigning Khan. His relationship with the younger Khan Flavia is only platonic. He'll be arriving with Khan Flavia and will also bring his granddaughter, Olivia."

"Khan Basilio has a granddaughter?" Emmeryn asked in surprise. "This is the first I've heard of this."

Phila nodded. "Yes, although it is not known if they are related by blood or not. He certainly treats her as one would treat family."

"That is good to know. What about Plegia?"

"The King of Plegia is bringing a lot of guests with him. There will be seven in all, including personal bodyguards. The king's name is Validar. It's said he is a just man. He follows Grima and keeps the Grimleal under control. His ways aren't what you would expect from a Grimleal leader, however. My sources say that since he took power 15 years ago, there have been no talks, not even rumors, about bringing back the Fell Dragon."

"Sounds like an interesting man. I will be pleased if I could speak with him personally. What about the other Plegian guests?"

"The King is bringing with him both of his children. The oldest and heir to the throne is named Aversa. She is being accompanied by a young woman named Tharja. Both of them are accomplished in the dark arts. Lady Aversa rides a black Pegasus. She can be very forward with people she likes, or so they say. As for Tharja, the only thing I was able to find about her is that she can be a very good with hexes. Word has it that she has a very short fuse. I would insist of not approaching her more than it is required, your grace."

Emmeryn giggled at Phila's concerned voice. "I'll keep that in mind, but I can't promise anything. Please, continue."

"Very well. Though he might not be the heir, prince Robin is the one most people would approach first. He is an accomplished strategist, despite his young age. Some of these accomplishments include ending infighting in Plegia, prohibiting the hunt, sell, and trade of living, including the Tagule and Marakete. He dissolved all animosity that had formed between those species and the crown for decades in just a couple of years. He is the reason we will be having representatives of both species with us. Representative Nowi for the Manakete and Representative Panne for the Taguel."

"Lord Robin sounds like quite a character. I'll be glad to get to know such a man. Is there anything else you can tell me about him?"

"Of course. Despite being a man of peace, he is known to enter combat from time to time. He wields a sword and magic as his weapons. Like his father and sister, he uses dark magic, but is also able to use elemental magic without any effort. This is something surprising from someone his age. He is the same age as prince Chrom, and yet, has done so much. It may have to do with a mark on his right hand."

"A mark on his hand?"

"Yes. They call it the Grima's heart. I gather that it is something similar as the mark of the Exalt that runs in your family, your grace. However, this is the first I've heard of it.

"The last guest from Plegia is Lord Robin's bodyguard. I couldn't find anything about this man except that he is a mercenary and goes by the name of Gregor."

"A mercenary as a bodyguard?" Emmeryn thought about the possible circumstances that would make Robin do such a thing. "He must be quite the fighter."

"I intend to find out, your grace."

"You shouldn't concern yourself with such small matters, Phila. If a man of peace as prince Robin has him under his command, then I doubt this man, Gregor, will try to intervene with the peace talks."

Phila continued to go through the list of guests. From Valm, king Yen'fay from Chon'sin and his bodyguard Lon'qu. The Voice of Naga, Lady Tiki and her bodyguard Say'ri, who happens to be Yen'fay's younger sister. From Rosanne, Duke Virion and vassal Cherche. Representing Northern Valm, Walhart The Conqueror.

"Lastly, from Ylisse, we will have a number of nobles, including Lady Maribelle and Lord Ricken. Some of the local guilds are sending representatives as well. Anna from the Merchants Guild, Vaike from the Fighters Guild, and Miriel from the Science Guild. In all, the most influential people in the Halidom of Ylisse will be present, your grace."

The conversation was interrupted when the door opened. A maid had opened it and let two women in. Before leaving, the maid bowed and then closed the door. Phila stood as the two approached. She turned to look at Emmeryn. "Your grace, these are two of the Pegasus Knights were assigned to the main room. I believe you know Sumia already." The girl bowed.

"It's good to see you again, Sumia," Emmeryn told the girl. She stood too, seeing as she didn't want to be the only one sitting. "My brother isn't causing you too much trouble, I hope?"

Sumia shook her head and smiled at her Exalt. "No, your grace," she said. "Chrom and the other Shepherds have been really good to me. It's because of my time with them that I was able to join the Pegasus Knights."

"I'm glad," said Emmeryn. She turned her attention to the other woman, who was a lot taller than Sumia. "I don't believe we've met before."

"No, your grace," the girl answered. "I've met your brother and sister before, though. Like with Sumia, they've been really good to me. My name is Cordelia."

"Cordelia here is one of our rising stars, your grace" Phila added. "She has everything in her that makes for a fine Pegasus Knight. I would dare say that she may take my place in a few years."

The redhead blushed furiously. "I-I still… I have much to learn yet, Captain Phila."

"If Phila praised you," Emmeryn cut in. "I believe you will get further than you think. The same goes to you, Sumia. Phila has had many good things to say about you in the past as well."

Now with the two girls embarrassed by being praised by the queen, it was time to get things moving. Phila looked over at the pair and with a more commanding voice asked, "are the guests arriving now?"

Cordelia tensed up at hearing her commanding officer. "Yes, captain! Both the guests from Plegia and from Regna Ferox entered the city just a few minutes ago. They should be arriving to the palace soon."

"Very well. Escort them to the ballroom. Sumia, what about our guests from Valm?"

This time Sumia tensed up. "They are on their way to the capital right now, ma'am. If they don't have any unforseen delays, they will arrive in two hours the latest."

"Make sure you are ready to receive them and escort them when they get here. You are dismissed."

"Yes, captain!" Both girls said in unison. They walked towards the door and exited the room, leaving only Phila and Emmeryn behind.

"Shall we prepare to leave as well, then?" Emmeryn asked.

"I believe that would be wise, your grace."

Phila guided Emmeryn out of her room. It had been decided that the event would take place in two main sections of the palace. The first would be the ballroom. As the name stated, it was a room mainly designated for dancing. The size of it made it the perfect place to host so many people at once. Another reason it was selected was because it lead to the main garden, the other section that had been selected for the event. It garden was decorated with many water fixtures as well as extravagant and foreign flowers. The color of the flowers, the sound of the water, and the nice, light breeze that passed through it made for a relaxing atmosphere. Surely, the guests would appreciate not being confined to a single space.

Both areas had finished being decorated as Phila and Emmeryn got there. There were many tables scattered around along with chairs to seat everyone. The first day of The Summit was meant to be a day of socializing. Everyone would be able to make acquaintances and relax for the coming peace talks the next day. The schedule didn't extend much past that. Peace wasn't something that could be rushed if everybody were to be happy.

"I'm always amazed at the amount of work the help can put together in such short notice," commented Emmeryn. "Such attention to detail too."

"Morning, Emm," said and approaching Chrom, Lissa lagging just a little behind him, and Frederick at the back of the pack, surely to make sure that they didn't try to run away. "The place looks great!"

"Aren't we missing the most important thing?" Asked Lissa, who had her hands on her hips, pouting. Everyone turned to look at her. Had something really been forgotten? If that was the case, it could spell disastrous!

"What might that be, dear sister?" Emmeryn questioned, calm as ever.

"Duh! Guests!" Phila let out a mental sigh of relief. "Where is everyone? Frederick said that they were all here already…"

Frederick coughed into his fist. "I did," he confessed. "It was the only way you would come out of your room, milady."

"Ugh!" Lissa grumbled. "You tricked me! You are going to pay the consequences."

"I rather not."

"He knows you too well, Lissa," Chrom said with a sly smile. "It's too late to complain about it now. What's done is done. I don't think you're going to get a chance to prank him to get even anytime soon either. Gods know how long this whole thing will take."

"Milord, I plead you don't utter such words when the guests arrive. They may find it disrespectful."

"I know, I know." Chrom rolled his eyes.

"If it pleases you to know, milord," said Phila. "A lot of your Shepherds will be making an appearance today." She turned to look at Lissa. "Lady Maribelle should be here shortly." Both Chrom and Lissa. relaxed at hearing that. "Sumia and Cordelia will also be here. They will be working, but I'm sure they both will be more than happy to talk to you, milord."

Emmeryn and Lissa giggled. Phila knew the reason for this. They both knew that those two girls had romantic feelings towards the prince. It wasn't too surprising. Most young girls (some older ones too) had a crush on Chrom. If only Chrom wasn't, as Frederick put it once, so thick headed he would see it.

"I'll make sure to talk to them, then," Chrom said more satisfied with the situation. "Thanks, Phila."

"It's my pleasure, milord."

A few minutes passed until the first guests arrived. Local highborns started entering the room, making their way to greet the Exalt and her siblings. Phila stayed close to Emmeryn, just behind her. The knight's eyes moved from face to face. As a precaution, she had memorized the faces of all the people that would be at attendance that day. It wasn't an easy task, but she was glad to do it. She saw Lady Maribelle, Lord Ricken, and even Vaike and Miriel make their way inside.

The people scattered around, including Lissa, Chrom, and Frederick. The only ones that remained static were the Exalt and her bodyguard. They had to wait there at least until the people from Plegia and Ferox arrived. As if hearing this thought, Cordelia entered the ballroom.

"May I have your attention please," she called out. Heads turned her way and the chattered died down. "May I present King Validar, representative of Plegia, as well as Reigning Khan Flavia and Khan Basilio from Regna Ferox."

Now the real battle began. From that moment onwards, the highest targets for assassination were now all gathered in a single room.

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I searched and searched and I can't find any stories that involve Phila! I thought she was a really great character, even if she was on the game for just a bit. They should've included her in some DLC, honestly.

I came up with this idea last night. It got stuck in my head that I just had to type it up. I thought about keeping this as a one-shot, but then this morning I got more and more ideas about things I want to do with this story. I can't say how long of a story it will be, but as long as you all find it interesting I'll keep it going. I'm trying to include all the characters that I can for this by giving them different roles. Expect to see most of them at some point or another. I still have to come up with something for two or three of them. Worst case scenario, I'll end up asking you guys for suggestions.

Hope you enjoy this story!~


	2. Panne I

I'm very surprised as to how well the story is being received. All that Phila love!

If you didn't get the idea form the title of last chapter, this story will switch perspectives between different characters. Think something like ASoI&F. That doesn't mean that you won't see Phila on chapters that aren't her own. I'm keeping her as a main character for sure. She'll just be less prominent on other chapters.

Anyways, enough of that. Enjoy the chapter!

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 _Panne I_

When Robin said he wanted to get to Ylisstol early, Panne thought it was a good idea. The tactician was infamous for his tardiness-always finding something or other more interesting to do-so she thought he, for once, wanted to make sure they would be there in time. This was supposed to be an important event, after all. Yet, here they were, in the middle of a store in a shady part of Ylisstol, instead of heading directly to the palace as they were supposed to.

Robin was looking around with Nowi, who had decided to tag along with them to take a look around the city. She'd told them before that it had been a long time since she last was there. But when a manakete that is over a thousand years old says something like that, it could mean she was last there decades if not centuries ago. The city itself was founded a millennium before. She could've been there for that!

It was hard to believe at times that Nowi was the oldest amongst their group. Her childlike, carefree attitude and her looks could fool anyone into thinking she was but a kid. Despite that, she could be a very serious and mature individual when the situation called for it. It was no wonder then that when king Validar asked for a representative for the manakete to come, Nowi stepped forth...or maybe she just wanted to get out of Plegia for once.

While the manakete was happy to be there, Panne wasn't overly excited about the whole affair. The last great war had driven the taguel off of the Halidom of Ylisse and into Plegia as hunts became more frequent. In Ylisse, it was a punishable offence to harm a taguel, just like it was to harm any human, but that didn't stop soldiers and villagers from being hostile to them. That was what ultimately forced all taguel to leave their warrens, seeking shelter elsewhere.

The taguel lived in relative peace in Plegia. Bandits and raiders would try to attack them to make an easy coin-beaststones could fetch a good price depending on their color and transparency-but the taguel were proud fighters. Panne herself was amongst the best fighters her warren had seen in a long time. It was through combat that she met Robin. The man had gone to her warren seeking to speak with an elder. They thought he was just another bandit. He didn't say anything about his title. They had no reason to think he was royalty. When he started talking about establishing better a better relationship between taguel and humans,everyone questioned him. To see if they could trust him, they told him he would have to fight against one of their own. Despite not looking like much of a warrior, he was able to best her in both combat and strategy, earning him her respect. Ultimately, this was what lead the taguel to have a more direct relationship with the royals of Plegia.

"Robin, look at this," and excited Nowi said, waving them over. "They have an enhanced dragonstone here!" The girl took hold of the spherical, crystal stone and looked intensely at it. "From all the places to see one, this is the last place I would've guessed could have one." The merchant, while he flinched a little at the obvious jab at his store, didn't say anything.

"Gregor telling you!" A deep voice coming from behind her boasted. "Gregor visiting all best places during his travels. This store always have good merchandise, ha ha!" This time, the merchant perked up, going so far as smiling after hearing the compliment to his store.

Gregor was Robin's bodyguard. He was a mercenary that, if one were to believe his stories, had traveled all over the world and worked many jobs for a variety of different people, from merchants to lords. At first glance, he didn't look like much. He was an older man that wore very little armor-only graves and a shield attached to the side of his arm. If she hadn't seen him fighting before, she would dismiss him as just a bag of muscle. That didn't change the fact that she didn't see a need for Robin to have a bodyguard. The prince was a good fighter and so was she. Even Nowi could be a fierce one when things got serious. Robin had said that they needed "strength in numbers." Adding one more to their group could do no harm. At the very least, Gregor was decent company, despite his odd accent and boastful personality.

Robin approached Nowi to take a closer look at the dragonstone the manakete was holding. "An enhanced dragonstone you say?" Robin said. "This is the first time I've ever seen one. It does look a bit different from yours. It also has this more imposing feel to it. But… I thought you said that manaketes received their dragonstones at a young age and then never part with them. I know there are different ways to get dragonstones without taking them from the manakete, but, if this is an enhanced one, shouldn't it have an owner?"

For once, Nowi looked thoughtful. "That's true," she said now frowning. "Enhanced dragonstones become that way over centuries of use. You can't just mine for one." She turned her attention over to the merchant, who looked rather nervous. Panned could hear the man's heartbeat raising faster and faster. "How did you get this, mister?" Nowi's usual smile was replaced by a suspecting look.

The merchant rubbed his hands together in some sort of attempt to calm himself down. "I-I found it long ago, miss," he told her.

"That is a lie," Panne stated. She could see Robin smiling from the corner of her eye.

"Beg your pardon?!"

"It's easy to fool a human with something like that," Robin told the merchant. "But my friend here is a taguel. She can detect the smallest changes in someone's physiology just with her ears, you see. Heavier breathing, increased heart rate, maybe tapping something nervously? Those are giveaways that someone is not telling the truth." The merchant gulped. "So, the truth this time. Where did you get this dragonstone?" Robin's tone had completely changed, replaced with a more authoritative one, which was rare for him, despite his title.

The merchant was now visibly sweating. To make matters worse for the man, both Panne and Gregor walked closer to Robin and Nowi, making for an intimidating barrier between the man and any escape route he could have.

He waved his hands forward, submitting to the pressure. "I-I got it from someone in the merchants guild," he confessed. "Her name is Anna. She is the guildmaster, I think. She told me to sell the stone, and to come up with a story if someone were to ask about it. I swear, m'lord."

Robin exchanged looks with everyone. "The guildmaster, huh…" To everyone's surprise, he pulled out a small pouch from under his robe and handed over some gold to the merchant. "We'll take this then. We can ask her directly about it tonight."

"Are you sure, Robin?" Panne asked. "If it is stolen property, we could just talk with one of the city guards. Have them do the investigation."

"We could do that," Robin agreed. "But then where is the fun in that? This will give us something to do while we are here. I don't know about you, but I don't feel like staying in that place and doing nothing for gods know how long."

"Um, excuse me, m'lord," said the merchant sheepishly. "I don't think you will be able to speak with the guildmaster any time soon. She s'pposed to be at that Summit thing the bunch of nobles are attending at the palace."

Ignoring the man, the group from Plegia left the store without any other word. Once outside, Robin handed the stone over to Nowi, who gladly took it. "If we can't find out anything about the owner of the stone then you can keep it," Robin told the manakete. "You'll need one for your child someday, no?"

Nowi laughed, covering her mouth with her hand, fingers fully extended apart. "Oh, Robin. I'm still too young for that!"

"Young? Little manakete is older than most cities Gregor visiting in his travels!" Gregor and Robin both laughed at the sight of Nowi puffing out her cheeks. Even the usually serious Panne smiled at that.

"Hasn't someone ever told you not to speak of a lady's age? It's rude!" Nowi crossed her arms over her chest. "You are one to speak of age, grandpa…"

"Oy!"

"We should head to the palace now," Panne said, trying to settle down those two. "Validar and Aversa must be there already."

Robin gave the suggestion a thought before nodding. "You are right, we really should get going," he said as they finally started heading towards the palace. Without horses, it would take them close to half an hour to get there because of the maze-like state of the city. Panne could easily cover the ground in a fraction of the time, but she couldn't just leave the other three there. She wasn't much for social gatherings amongst humans. She knew Aversa and Tharja, but she didn't match well with them.

"I'm surprised that you were the one to say it, Panne," said Nowi. "Are you excited about the party? I've heard a lot of the people around here talking about it."

"...I'm not," Panne answered. "It is my duty to be there and to make good on representing my people."

"Gregor thinking bunny tries too hard in looking tough," the mercenary, unnecessarily, said. "Bunny should relax. Learn from Gregor! Life is good when surrounding yourself with good food and drink!"

Panne sighed. "I don't _try_ anything. And don't call me bunny again or Gregor will find himself on the floor. Besides, your mercenary life sounds dull to me."

"Dull? What is this Panne speaks of?" He hit his chest twice. "Gregor lives good life! Fighting, drinking, eating, and sometimes enjoying company of good woman. All this things revolve around mercenary work."

"A good woman, huh?" Robin mumbled. "Are you thinking of getting yourself a noble woman, Gregor? It would be bad if I lost my bodyguard to something other than battle."

Once more, Gregor just laughed. "Robin doesn't have to do the worrying," he reassured. "As long as coin keeps flowing, Gregor will work for you. That doesn't mean Gregor won't stop trying to find good woman, though."

"That's...reassuring?"

Before they knew it, they were at their destination. Humans would call it "grand". Panne didn't care much about architecture. She came from a warren. The homes she knew were made of mud and branches. They were built into the environment, not made to look fancy or stand out for that matter.

"Quite a sigh," Robin said. She turned over to look at him, but he was already staring at her. "You have to admit that much."

"We should go inside," Nowi said, thankfully. Panne would never admit any admiration of the sort. "I hope Validar isn't mad that we took so long."

"I doubt it," he said. "We're only a little late. Aversa, on the other hand, will tease me about it. I can already see what's coming." The image the tactician had on his mind had to be bad if he was making such a horrible face. "Lets go in."

The four of them walked towards the entrance, where they met with a red headed human female. She wore white armor on top of a red and white dress and carried a spear. "Hello," she greeted the bunch. "You must be the rest of the guests from Plegia."

"Woah, how could you tell?!" Nowi was really surprised, for some reason. Panne already knew there was only one reason the woman would know.

The woman giggled. "We were given a list of guests. On it there was only one taguel and two manakete. King Validar arrived earlier and informed us that his son would be arriving later with the taguel and manakete representatives."

"There is another manakete coming?" Robin asked.

"Yes, Lady Tiki from Valm," she said. "She represents the followers of Naga. She is the Voice of Naga."

"I see," Robin answered. "Oh, sorry, I didn't catch your name before."

"I'm Cordelia. I'm one of the Pegasus Knights assigned to oversee the party. It's a pleasure." She bowed to them.

"You already know who we are, but I'll still introduce us. I'm Robin, son of king Validar of Plegia. The man behind me is Gregor. He's my bodyguard. The little ball of cheerfulness is Nowi, the manakete representative. And last but not least, on my right is Panne, the taguel representative." Each of them greeted Cordelia when they were introduced. "Sorry to have made you wait. Ylisstol has many things to see."

"Not at all, milord," Cordelia said very formally. "I'll show you inside."

"Thanks, Cordelia. Oh, and please, you can just call me Robin. I've never been fond of being called with a title before my name."

"In that case, you will get along with prince Chrom, Robin."

"Is that so? I look forward to meeting him. I've heard he is an interesting fellow."

"He is quite something." Cordelia giggled. "I will take you directly to the Exalt. Both prince Chrom and princess Lissa will be with her."

"Won't the Exalt be busy with the other guests?" Robin asked.

Cordelia shook her head. "Not quite everyone has arrived. The guests from Valm should be here soon."

Robin turned to look at Panne. "And you were rushing us to get here," he said with a smirk. "No one can complain now that we won't be the last ones in."

"You-"

"We are here," Cordelia interrupted. As she'd pointed out, they'd reached the big room that hosted all the other guests. She could already see people staring at her. It was no surprise. A taguel coming to such an event was unheard of. Then again, when was the last time an event of such magnitude took place?

She didn't get a chance to walk around, as Nowi nudged her when she didn't follow after the others. The two non-humans caught up quickly with the rest, who hadn't made it that far because they had to navigate their way around the people that had glasses on their hands and decided that the best place to talk with another was right in the middle of the entrance.

"Captain Phila!" Thier guide called out to a silver-blue haired woman in armor that was looking the other way.

The woman turned when her name was called, looking over at all of them. "Is this the rest of the Plegian party?" Phila asked, to which Cordelia nodded. Phila looked satisfied, giving the other Pegasus Knight a slight nod. "Very well," she said as she turned to look at the rest. "Please, follow me. The Exalt has been looking forward to meeting with you all."

Despite what she said, Panne noticed that the knight eyed Gregor suspiciously. _I would've done the same thing_ , she thought. But it was rather odd, considering that the ones that would normally get such treatment were her and Nowi. It didn't look like there was any ill intent, so Panne just let it go.

They were walked just further ahead-this time escorted by both the redhead and the silver-bluenette. Aversa, and Tharja were further ahead talking with another group of three. There were no signs of Validar. Panne could spy the mark of the Exalt on two of them, the older female of the two, who wore green, and the male, who carried a sword on his belt.

"Your grace," Phila called out as they approached them. "Let me introduce you to Lord Robin, Lady Nowi, and Lady Panne."

The Exalt looked in their direction and offered what could only be described as an oddly soothing and motherly smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you all," she said.

"Like wise, your highness," said Robin, taking a small bow. Nowi and Panne did the same, but Gregor didn't even bother. Perhaps Phila not introducing him had something to do with it. At times, the older man could be immature like that.

"Please, I insist you call me Emmeryn," she said to all of them. A small smile formed on both Robi's and Nowi's faces. Emmeryn then turned slighting and extended a hand towards the other two figures that stood to her side. "This is my brother, Chrom, and my sister, Lissa."

"We've heard a great deal about you all from Emm and Phila," said Chrom. "You've been making quite a name for yourself, Robin."

"You praise me too highly," Robin said, scratching the back of his head lightly. "I've heard about you too. The leader of the Shepherds, and wielder of Falchion. It's hard to miss such a man." Chrom laughed.

"You are a lot more relaxed and friendly than I thought you would be," Lissa said. This made Robin's eyebrow arch up for a second. He chuckled as he understood what the reason for it was.

"You've been talking to my sister," he stated.

As if to prove him right, Aversa, looking as mischievous as always, approached them. Tharja followed by her side. "I've done nothing but praise you, brother," she said in a very convincing manner. "I was just sharing some very fond memories with them." She smiled mischievously and sent a wink his way. Panne noticed Robin shiver ever so slightly. Seeing the siblings interacting was one of the upsides of this trip. Well, mostly because of how Robin would react to the teasing.

Lissa giggled, but it quickly turned into an all out laughing fit. Chrom turned to look at her and so did Emmeryn. They must've been able to communicate with their stares, because it made Lissa settle down. "I-I'm sorry, it's just that Robin's face was doing this rubbery thing," the girl explained. Whatever that "rubbery face" was, it was enough to get the princess laughing to the verge of tears.

Tharja and Aversa shared a look. "So you see it too," said Tharja with a grin. "Yes, a sort of rubbery expression would be the best way to describe it." Panne suddenly became curious about what they meant. She'd known the tactician for some time, but this was the first time she'd heard of such a thing. She turned to look at Nowi to see if she knew what they were talking about. The expression the manakete had on her face told Panne that she did know. That only confused her more.

"You don't have to indulge her," Chrom cut in, reading the discomfort Robin was in. "Lissa sometimes sprawls nonsense."

"Hey!" Lissa's face contorted before she pouted. "I do _not_ sprawl nonsense!" Her response only caused Chrom and Emmeryn to exchange a look and then chuckle.

"Even so, I have to agree with Lissa," Emmeryn said, getting the conversation back in track. "Having not heard these stories, I still had pictured you as something else. I'm glad to see I was mistaken."

"Is this about the files?" Robin asked.

Phila reacted for once. Cordelia had called her captain before. It was to reason that she was the one that compiled those files. "Files?" Phila asked. Despite her earlier reaction, Panne was surprised to see how composed the woman was.

"Cordelia told us about them when we first got here," Panne said in an attempt to clear thing up.

"I see…"

By then, the big group had split somewhat. Aversa, Tharja, Nowi, and Lissa were talking in one side, still talking about the rubbery face. Panne would have to ask Nowi later about this. In the meantime, she was in the middle of her own conversation which included the Exalt, Chrom, Robin, and herself. Gregor, Cordelia, and Phila were all with them, but didn't speak. _As to be expected of guards_.

The conversation topic changed when Panne spoke up. "We've heard that your guild masters would be coming here as well," she said, remembering the events at the store earlier that day. "Are they here?"

Emmeryn turned to look at Phila. With all the people present, it made sense that she herself wouldn't know.

"They won't be arriving until tomorrow, Lady Panne," the knight answered.

"Did you have business with one of them, perhaps?" Emmeryn asked.

"If you do, I can introduce you to a couple of them," Chrom said. "Both Vaike, the leader of the Fighters Guild, and Miriel, leader of the Science Guild, are members of the Shepherds."

"Sounds like the Shepherds is an even more interesting bunch than I expected," said Robin.

He could've answered the question for her, but instead he just turned to look at her. He wanted her to do it, for whatever reason. She internally sighed before she continued, " _we_ have something to discuss with the leader of the Merchants Guild." She heavily emphasized the "we" so that Robin would be forced to explain as well.

The tactician looked disappointed that his plan hadn't worked. _I know you well enough not to fall for your manipulation,_ she thought.

"What do we have here?" A voice came from behind her. They all turned to focus on the owner of the voice. The mountain of muscle was approaching them, drink in hand.

"Khan Basilio, let me introduce you to-" Chrom didn't get a chance to finish.

"I know very well who they are, lad," Basilio told Chrom. "Now then, Robin, the time has come for payback for the last time we met."

The mood around them changed. Chrom and Emmeryn looked surprised that Robin and the khan knew each other. From her increased heart rate and the look on her face, Cordelia was nervous. No doubt she was asking herself if she could stop whatever killing intent the khan had with the significantly small tactician. Phila, despite how calm she was, had to be thinking there was something wrong too. She'd stepped closer to Emmeryn-her sight going from Basilio, to Robin, to Gregor. Gregor crossed his arms and smirked. So much for the bodyguard. As for Panne, she furrowed her brow. This was the first time she'd heard of any bad blood between the khan and Robin.

The only question that remained was, would this Summit come to an end sooner than everyone else was expecting?

* * *

So there you have it. The first Panne chapter, introducing a different plot to the story.

With so many characters, I think having more than one plot going at a time will be for the best. I already have a bunch of ideas for other stuff I want to bring in. It's just a matter to see who I want to involve for each one and when to bring it in.

Because of how different this story is from the game, I need a lot more time to plan stuff out. It's a struggle between where things are, where they are going, and where I want them to get. I already have big events thought out, it's just a matter of thinking what to do in between them and how to get things to those points.

Expect chapters for this story to come a lot less frequently than my other story (Fire Emblem: A Different Awakening). No promises as how often the chapters for this will come out. I want to say at least once a week, but who knows?

Let me know what you thought of the chapter by leaving a review. If you liked the story, remember to follow and/or favorite it too!

* * *

 **Responses  
**

 ** _Muggzy_**

This story is my little experiment to focus on a lot of different things that I wish the game had, from small plots to characters. Emmeryn, Phila, Gregor, Panne. They all don't get the attention they should, IMO. Even in fan fiction, they aren't mentioned all that much, sadly. I got to do what I got to do! Maybe if this story does well enough, we'll see an influx of stories that focus on those characters.

To answer your question, both answers are yes. Kei'ri is still alive and Lon'qu isn't afraid of women, but his overall attitude (being serious/down to business) still remains.

 _ **The Lavander Empress**_

I agree with you there. It's sad to see that because the new game is out, any chance of her showing up ever again just went _poof_.

Yup, I'm already writing down plots and breaking them down. I have a few ideas, but who knows how many of them I'll cut out. Thanks for the suggestion!

 _ **Dusk Mind**_

I'm glad to hear that you like how I wrote the characters. I hope I can keep them in a good enough IC-range.

Hahaha I totally get where you are coming from. Just about every story has Chrom marry Sumia. Right now, I have a few candidates for that spot. I wouldn't worry too much about that.

Thanks a lot!

 _ **Gunlord500**_

Thank you! Hope you enjoy the coming chapters :3


	3. Phila II

Sorry about the delay, peeps. There was an electrical problem in my apartment that fried the power supply and motherboard on my desktop... Took a few days to get new parts, but at last they came in yesterday and I was able to finish this chapter!

It's a shorter one, but keep in mind I'm setting stuff up too. I had plans to make it longer, but thought it was better to have those things happen in different chapters.

Anyways, hope you guys like it! Remember to leave a review, favorite, and/or follow the story if you really liked it. Enjoy!

* * *

 _Phila II_

"So, Robin, what will it be?" the khan asked with a menacing voice. "Are you running away again or will you face me head on?"

This wasn't good at all. From the expression the khan was making, Phila knew he was serious. Whatever had transpired between the two had to be of great importance. If the Summit was to be salvaged, the situation had to be diffused while making sure both parties were satisfied. However, this was beyond her abilities as the Pegasus Knights' leader. Even Emmeryn, who was used to dealing with situations like this after years of being the Exalt, looked unsure on what to do.

So what could Phila do that her own queen couldn't? She would go by instinct. If things escalated further, then she would do everything in her power to protect Emmeryn from any possible harm. That was her primary duty. As such, she stepped just a little in front of the Exalt. On the worst case scenario, she would gladly put her life down on the line.

Her was perched on the hilt of her sheathed sword-a sword she only wore when not training recruits or when in combat with her pegasus. Her ability with this weapon was of high enough caliber for her to perform her duty.

She kept her eyes on the involved parties; Robin, Basilio, and the mercenary-turned-bodyguard, Gregor. Was the older bodyguard crazy? Or perhaps a craven? His charge was under treat and the only thing that the man did was cross his arms and smirk. Even the taguel, Panne, looked more concern with the situation.

"Is that what you really want, Basilio?" Robin, to everyone's surprised, asked the khan in a calm way. Further than that, they were both regarding each other only by name…

"If my ears caught all that right, then I want to be part of it too," came a voice from behind Basilio. Phila recognized the woman as kahn Flavia-the ruling khan of Regna Ferox. Both khans had introduced themselves briefly before the arrival of Robin and the rest of the Plegian party. The woman wore the slightest of smiles, as if amused with the situation. It could very well turn to a melee.

"I'm with the oaf on this one," Flavia said. "You left Regna Ferox in a hurry last time. You can't run away this time, tactician."

There was silence amongst them. No one dared make a move. Somehow, the other guests hadn't noticed the tense atmosphere coming from their group. Then the unexpected happened. The silence was replaced by laughs! Basilio, Flavia, and Robin. The three of them laughed, as if sharing an inside joke. This wasn't enough to reassure any of the others. Phila was still holding onto her sword. Cordelia, while not as confident, did the same with her spear.

"It's good to see you, Flavia," Robin finally said after the laughs died down. "I didn't run away, as you put it. I just had others things to do back in Plegia at the time."

"Sorry to interrupt, but what exactly is going on here?" Chrom asked. "Just a moment ago it felt like you were about to gut Robin right here."

The prince was right. Everyone thought so aside from those three. Actually, no, not everyone. Gregor had remained calm through all of that, as Phila had noted before. Could it be he read something more about the atmosphere than she couldn't?

Basilio grinned at Chrom after hearing his question, but it was Flavia who answered. "In Ferox, it is rude to deny an invitation for a drink. More so when the ones wanting to share a drink with you are the khans."

"It didn't feel like you wanted to just share a drink with him," prince Chrom chimed in, saying exactly what was on Phila's mind.

"The man is responsible for me losing the tournament of khans!" Basilio's expression soured as he said that. "Not only that, but he then refuses to drink with me?"

"Tournament of khans?" Panne asked.

"It is a tradition in Ferox that only the strong should lead," Phila began to explain, finally being able to relax somewhat. "Each khan gains control over their own territory-the east and the west-by showing they are the greatest warriors from their side.

"The ruling khan is selected using the tournament of khans. Each side selects a champion to fight for them. That champion cannot be themselves or anyone related by blood to them or their opponent."

"She speaks the truth," Flavia confirmed.

"So if Robin was responsible for khan Basilio to lose…" Chrom thoughtfully said.

"Robin was my champion, yes," Flavia confirmed. "He did so well that I invited him to stay and become my permanent champion and the grandmaster for Ferox." She turned to face Robin and said, "both of the offers still stand."

 _Robin is a good fighter too…_ The thought ran through Phila's mind. At first glance, the Plegian prince didn't look like much. He was tall, but not overly muscular. Plegians were known more for magic, but to be able to defeat a Feroxi warrior deemed worthy of becoming a champion on single combat? That in on itself was impressive. When she added the information she already knew about him, Robin did become, as her grace had put it, "quite a character."

Her mind drifted out of the conversation. They were talking about interesting topics, but Phila still had a job to do. Only then did she notice that Chrom was missing a certain someone along his side.

She waved Cordelia over in hopes that she would follow her, moving just far enough to be out of earshot from the group, but still close enough to be able to protect Emmeryn should the need arise. The two Pegasus Knights stopped and faced each other once Phila was satisfied with the distance. Cordelia stood at attention, ready for orders.

"I want you to assist Sir Frederick in watching over the prince and the princess," the older female explained. She could see the younger knight tense up and her eyes open just slightly more. It was no surprise to the captain as to the reason why the other would react that way. The Pegasus Knights was a company of sisterhood. All the women would share smaller secrets at times. It was easy to find out anything about anyone as the captain of such an order. Phila knew all too well that both Cordelia and Sumia were enamoured with the young prince. And from her years of experience, she knew that love could be the biggest driving force when set to protect someone.

Ever stoic, she continued, "as more guests arrive, it will be difficult for Sir Frederick to keep watch of both his charges. That's especially true when said charges are apart from one another, like right now." She turned her gaze over to where Lissa was standing, Frederick being just behind her, ever ready to take action. Then she turned her attention towards the prince, who at that moment stood unprotected. "Prince Chrom may excel in swordsmanship, but that doesn't mean that it's good to leave him be without backup." He returned to look at Cordelia. "You've set yourself apart from the rest of the knights I've seen in just a short time, Cordelia. That is why I know I can trust you with this task."

Despite the obvious hints of nervousness that Cordelia displayed, she saluted her superior. "Yes, Captain!" Her voice ever confident. "I'll make sure to keep the prince safe and out of trouble."

"Good," Phila said, her mouth turning into the smallest of smiles. "I'm confident you'll do an excellent job, Cordelia. Now, let us return."

As they were walking back to the group, another Pegasus Knight approached them, wanting to report something of importance to Phila. Phila told Cordelia that she could head back on her own and that she would join them as soon as she was done. Cordelia nodded and headed to the group.

"What's the situation?" Phila asked the other knight.

"There have been several reports on incidents within the castle, Captain," the other informed her.

This surprised Phila, as it was the first time she heard about it. It was not the time to have problems popping up. It could become problematic if word were to get out and reach the wrong ears. "What has happened?"

"We have several reports of property has been stolen from the premises, ma'am."

Theft from the palace was not to be taken lightly. Less so with the added security of the event. Phila dreaded to know what could have been stolen. Many priceless and historically significant possessions were at the palace at all times. If any of those went missing, it could spill a problem. But if one of those were to be stolen, she would have control over the flow of information. If, on the other hand, a guest had something stolen from them, that could mean commotion.

"What has been stolen?" Phila asked. Her voice was calmed, but inside, she was nervous to know the answer.

"That's the thing, ma'am... It wasn't jewelry or any sort of priceless item… The thief or thieves have just been taking...sweets."

"Sweets...?" Phila repeated, somewhat baffled by the response. Just why would someone steal sweets?

"That's what we've gathered so far," the girl confirmed. "Several of the pastry chefs that had been working on their desserts and other sweets for the past few days reported that their work had been stolen sometime after delivering the goods to the palace. Since this morning, one by one, they've been disappearing.

"We questioned the other servants and the chefs' assistants to see if they could've possibly been misplaced, but to no avail. There aren't even traces left behind except for clean plates."

The objects that had been stolen were not of major significance. The chefs would undoubtedly be enraged by the situation, given that this was an opportunity for them to have their work recognized and make new contacts not only throughout the Halidom of Ylisse, but the world. Yet, to infiltrate the palace only to steal sweets... That didn't make sense. Who would take such a risk for something like that?

"Something is amiss," said Phila after thinking the matter over. "The theft of sweets must be a cover for something else. We must be on the lookout in case this keeps happening.

"Go talk with the other knights. I want to know if anything else has been stolen or reported missing. Also ask them if they've seen anything out of the ordinary. Report to me once you are done."

"Yes, Captain!"

With a small salute, the girl was gone. Phila was able to return to Emmeryn's side, who smiled at her bodyguard on her return. It seemed that everyone was engaged on the current conversation except for Emmeryn and Panne, although, the taguel looked like she was trying her best to keep up with what was being said.

"Is everything okay, Phila?" Emmeryn asked. "You were gone for a long time. You look a little worried too."

Emmeryn wasn't the Exalt just because of her bloodline. Her ability to read people could be frightening. From all the people Phila had known through the years, the only one that could always reads past her exterior was her. Whether it was for her ability or for being together for so long, that was something Phila didn't know.

"Just a minor disturbance, your grace," Phila confessed, knowing that she would eventually find out about it. There was no way she would tell her everything, however. Of course, what she did end up saying was in a low enough voice for no one else to hear except for Emmeryn. "It's nothing to concern yourself about. Just one more thing for the guards to watch out for. I've already given orders to deal with the situation."

"I appreciate your honesty and the effort you are putting in for this event, Phila," said Emmeryn. "I know this can be troublesome for you."

"Not at all, your grace," Phila quickly said. "It's an honor to be able to do this." Once more, she received one of Emmeryn's smiles.


	4. Gregor I

This one took a lot longer to make than I wanted. I had most of it done a few days ago, but then I decided to change the character's perspective. It wasn't a complete waste. I'll use some of the things that I cut from this chapter later on, if I can.

Not much else for me to say this time. Hope you guys like this chapter as well. This story isn't getting a ton of views yet, but I do really enjoy coming up with stuff for it.

Enjoy! And remember to leave a review to tell me what you think. Also, favorite and/or follow the story if you really liked it.

* * *

 _Gregor I_

Ever since being hired by Robin after their first encounter in the Plegian desert, Gregor had grown somewhat used to seeing the interactions between nobles. In the past, he'd been hired many times to protect nobles, but with Robin it was different. To call the young prince unconventional was an understatement. As someone that had been around Plegia many times throughout the decades of working as a mercenary, he'd never seen try so hard to achieve goals that wouldn't help them get ground in one way or another.

That day, Gregor had been trying to help a certain manakete girl escape from captivity. At the time, the manakete still had a rough time in Plegia, being traded for entertainment purposes in the underground market. The two of them, Gregor and Nowi, had ran into Robin by chance while in the middle of a battle against their pursuers. With him he had a small company of fighters. The fighters were made of of mages, archers, and swordsmen for the most part. But there was also a few others that caught Gregor's eye. Taguel. Not one, but four of them. And they didn't seem to fight _for_ the hooded man. They were fighting _with_ him.

The hooded man had approached him and Nowi in the midst of battle, brining along with him a taguel girl. Both of them didn't trust him at the start, given that the manakete was acting as if she was afraid of him. _Bah, little girl can eat Gregor's head_ , he remembered thinking. He told them that he was simply trying to help; that the girl was in danger and he was simply trying to protect her. Simple words that most would've taken as a lie. And yet, the hooded man nodded and asked for their assistance in dealing with the bandits instead.

To think that that day would change his life so much. Gregor still acted as a mercenary, except now he wasn't being paid to kill, no, he was being paid to protect someone. The old man, or "gramps" as the manakete girl kept calling him, found it odd. He'd seen what Robin was capable during combat. With the taguel, Panne, by his side most of the time, there was even less of a reason for Robin to need a bodyguard. When Gregor voiced this to Robin, the answer he received was that with Gregor being a mercenary, there was a chance that the two would find themselves on different sides on a battle in the future. So, the only reasonable course of action was to hire him and keep him on his side. Good reasoning. Gregor wouldn't complain. He was receiving payment, getting good food, and even a decent bed, when they stayed at the castle. Most of the time, they traveled around to here and there.

That all had happened what felt like years ago. And as many places and events he'd been forced to attend because of his new job, the Summit was the grandest of them all; the grandest of his life, he dared say.

The palace of the Halidom of Ylisse was packed full of nobles and characters of high influence from all over the world. People talked, laughed, and wined with one another, telling tales of grandeur of their political or economical accomplishments. These were all well and good...for someone that cared about such things. For the mercenary, he was more interested on the food of appetizers that he kept seeing being brought by servants from what guessed was the kitchen.

That is, until the khans joined them in conversation. The khans, like him, prefered talking about combat and other topics that wouldn't fly well with nobles. When Basilio approached them, Gregor could only smirk. For a second he thought that the man would talk with him. That's not what happened. Basilio did eye him for a second, most likely recognizing him, but the man he talked to was none other than Robin, much to the mercenaries surprise. Things were getting interesting for him. All he could do was smirk at the situation. He could feel the eyes of a certain other bodyguard, the woman with the beauty mark, on him. She wanted him to step in. He could've stepped in...

Things cleared up soon enough thanks to Flavia, who'd gained the title of ruling khan because of Robin. A few eyebrows went up with that, including his own. That was the first time he'd heard of it. Robin wasn't the secretive nor boastful type, but to be able to do such a thing with no one knowing about it? That required more than just strength and strategy.

The others were flustered as the situation was explained. Within a few minutes, the atmosphere had returned to what it was. Robin, Basilio, Flavia, Chrom, and Emmeryn talked for awhile mostly about Ylisstol. During this conversation, Gregor noticed Phila walking away from them with the girl Cordelia following after her. He wasn't the only one to take notice. Robin looked at Panne for a second, their eyes meeting. This was something he'd seen them do a few times before. He was snapped back to reality moments later when he heard his name being called.

"From all the people I was expecting to see, Gregor was the last on my list," said Basilio. The statement grabbed the attention from everyone.

"Do you know each other?" Robin asked.

"Aye," affirmed Basilio. "Though, it was long ago. We should have a fight too, for ol' times sake."

Gregor's smirked widened to become a smile. His hands found themselves on his hips and he pushed out his chest. "Gregor prefers fight baldy will have with Robin," he said. The casual, somewhat demeaning name he gave to the khan took the Ylisseans by surprise. "Gregor is better with mug of ale than sword in hand, yes?"

Basilio looked into the mercenary's eyes for a moment, Gregor returning the glare. The topic about their fight was something that he rather be kept between the two of them. Switching the topic to drinking was fitting, given that the khan had referred to that as a fight before.

Finally, Basilio gave in. "Then you should join us three later!"

The conversation took a turn more towards the political side after that. Robin, Flavia, Basilio, and Emmeryn were discussing various uninteresting topics by the time Cordelia came back-her Captain not in sight. Gregor eyed the redhead for a moment. She looked both nervous and, strangely happy. He also noticed that instead of standing more towards him and the others from Plegia, she was now standing closer to Chrom. The Ylissean prince noticed her presence as well, offering her a small smile and nod before turning his attention back towards the conversation at hand.

A few more minutes passed before the Exalt's bodyguard returned. The two women exchanged words, though Gregor couldn't make them out, before Emmeryn had to excuse herself.

"I'm sorry, khans, prince Robin, lady Panne," she started, giving a small bow in apology. "A few more guests have arrived. I must greet them. I would be delighted if we could talk again before the day is over."

"I'll go with you then, Emm," said Chrom. "I do hope we can talk some more later," that time, he referred to the rest of them. "I'll go get Lissa and Frederick. We'll catch up to you two."

The group became that much smaller as Chrom, Emmeryn, Phila, and Cordelia walked away.

"Lucky guy," the mercenary noted. "Many pretty ladies for him. More ladies than prince has arms!" Letting out a boastful laugh, satisfied with his own comment, he turned to see the other's reactions. Everyone smiled except for Panne. She rolled her eyes.

"One of them is his sister, though," Robin pointed out.

"Is it odd for humans to lay with members of their own family?" Panne asked.

"I would rather you not say something like that out loud, Panne… But to answer your question, it happens, but incest is frowned upon."

"The heart's desire can be harsh," said Basilio.

"What is this?" Flavia questioned. "The oaf thinks himself a poet! Could it be that you have experience in the matter?"

Gregor could practically see the fumes coming off of Basilio's bold head. Despite the way his body was reacting, which made Flavia laugh, the man remained somewhat composed. "No," was his response. "I'll go check how Olivia is doing." With those words spoken, he left the group. Flavia also excused herself, making sure to tell Robin that the drinking match was going to happen. The reigning khan followed after Basilio, no doubt wanting to continue poking the bear.

"I didn't know you knew Basilio, Gregor," Robin commented once the three of them were the only ones left. "It's a small world."

"Story is too long for Gregor be telling now," said Gregor. "Gregor much more interesting on Panne's, how you say? Spying?"

"Spying implies a lot of things. Eavesdropping is a much better word." Robin then turned his attention towards the taguel. Discussion avoided! "Was it something useful, Panne?"

"Aye," the taguel confirmed along with giving a nod. "However, I don't know to what extent."

"Do tell."

"By what I could gather, the knight girl, Cordelia, will be shadowing after the bluenette,"

"I noticed the knight following him followed Lissa when she and Nowi went to talk with Tharja and my sister. No matter how strong someone is, it's always the smart move to have someone watching their back. Is that all?"

"There have been some minor thefts around the castle. The part that confuses me are the stolen goods."

"Why is that?"

"Whoever is behind it is only taking pastries and other desserts."

The revelation stunned the two men. Theft was common. Going to an event like the one they were in and expect security to be flawless was silly. But to hear that from everything the palace could host, something as replaceable as sweets were being taken was unheard of.

"Huh…"

"Could it be that someone is trying to sabotage the event by doing this?

"Doubt it. They are just sweets! Something like that wouldn't cause a big commotion."

Gregor gave it more of a thought. This wasn't the first time he'd heard of such crime. He could remember it clear as day because it stood out so much because of how bizarre it was. "Stealings of sugar-stuff is something Gregor knows of," the older man said.

"You've stolen sweets before?"

"No, no!" The man waved his hands in front of him. "Gregor is no thief! Rumors of sweet-tooth thief. Gregor hears many things of this before during travels." Panne and Robin exchanged a look before turning to look back at Gregor.

"Is this like the time you faced off against someone claiming to be a member of the Thieves Guild?" Robin asked, skeptical about his own bodyguard's words.

"You hurt Gregor! Gregor not do any lying."

"Somehow, I doubt that," said Panne.

"Although, if there was really a Thieves Guild out there, don't you think they would show up here too? Most guildmasters are coming."

Panne crossed her arms. "You can't be serious. The ones showing up are Ylissean guildmasters. The Thieves Guild is nothing but a rumor. What are the chances that it is true and that their guildmaster would willingly show face? He would be arrested on the spot."

"Only if people _knew_ who he was."

"You can't be serious…"

"My, my," a familiar voice cut in. The three of them turned to look at the approaching Aversa, Tharja, and Nowi. "A lover's quarrel, brother?"

"This is no such thing," Panne responded. The taguel had grown used to the comments of the white haired woman. "You humans are too weak to-"

"But didn't Robin beat you in combat?" Nowi asked, a finger on her chin to make her look innocent; Gregor knew better than that.

"Okay, enough teasing already," Robin said in an effort to defuse the situation. "Why don't we go out to the garden for some fresh air? We can even get some drinks! Maybe even something to eat."

"Trying to inebriate her so that she'll be more willing?" Aversa said with a shocked tone, but they all knew that it was just more teasing. "I expected you to act more like a noble, my dear Robin."

"Getting myself one or seven drinks is starting to sound more attractive now," muttered Robin.

"If it's the drinking you want, let Gregor show the way," the older man said with confidence. "Gregor tasting drinks from Ylisse before; knows best from the best!"

No one complained or said otherwise. The group found themselves following after Gregor-no easy task due to the guests that had gathered around them. With much gently pushing and a few words here and there, they were able to make their way outside. The nice, cool breeze was enough to lighten the their mood, not to mention the delicious smell of the food that was set up on a big, long table. It all was very inviting. Eating that food would be pure bliss.

Or it would've been had Gregor not accidentally bumped into someone by accident. He'd turned to look behind him to make sure the rest of the people were following when he hit the man. The man standing in front of him wore gray clothes that were mostly covered by thin black armor-some pieces made with steel and others were leather.

"Much apologies," said Gregor.

The man didn't looked pleased. Then again, he didn't look insulted or anything else for that matter. His face was like a picture. If it wasn't for his blinking eyes he could be mistaken by a statue. Granted, it would be a very out of place statue not only because of the specific spot the man stood was no place for a statue, but because he wore clothes that Gregor knew were from a different continent altogether.

"Step back," a second man ordered as he stepped between the first and Gregor. This man wore similar armor to the first, except his more sparse and he wore a long dull-blue coat underneath. Both of these men also carried killing edges, swords famously used by warriors of Chon'sin.

"It is accident," Gregor tried to explain.

"Accident or not, that doesn't excuse your actions," said the one wearing blue. "You're actions are an insult to Yen'fay, King of Chon'sin. As such, it is my duty to punish you."

"Punish?" Gregor repeated somewhat stunned by the exaggeration of it all. "Gregor is apologizing, no?"

"If you truly feel sorry, then fight me." The man let his right hand touch the hilt of his blade, ready to unsheathe it at any moment.

"Gregor doesn't do the fighting with no reason."

"No reason?" This time the man in blue was the one repeating the other's words. "Stop fooling around. You carry a sword and a shield. Are you a craven that you would refuse to fight me?"

"Gregor is mercenary! No coin? No fighting."

The mercenary's words fell on deaf ears as the man in blue refused to acknowledge that line of thinking. It was clear that his patiences was running thin. Gregor could see the small changes on the man's body that showed so; Clenching of the hands, the smallest furrow of the brow, gritting teeth. All tell tale signs that things were about to get bad. He wondered why the other man, king Yen'fay, wasn't stopping his man. More importantly, where the heck was the royal guard?!

"Is there a problem here?" Robin asked once he and the others finally caught up to his bodyguard. "Has Gregor caused any trouble?"

"Oy!"

The man in blue and Yen'fay glared at Robin, which clearly made the prince uncomfortable.

"It is misunderstanding," Gregor tried to say.

"Are you responsible for this man?" The man in blue asked. Robin nodded.

"Aye, he is my bodyguard," Robin said. "If you don't mind me asking, who might you be?"

"Lon'qu…"

"Lon'qu? Ah, you must be from Chon'sin then! I take it that the man behind you would be the representative? Yen'fay, correct?"

"That is so," answered Yen'fay. "You've heard of us."

"I've read of you, to be precise. I like having a general idea of who to expect when going to events like this."

"Smart man."

"We all friends, yes?" Gregor cut in. "No need to fight!"

"This and that are two different things," said Lon'qu, stubbornly. All Gregor wanted was to get out of there. Perhaps he should've let Robin work his magic for a little longer before trying to get the hell out of dodge.

"A fight?" Robin asked, confused about what he was hearing. "Why would there be a fight?"

"There was a little incident between this man and my liege."

"Has Gregor not apologized already?" Robin's tone had changed once more. This time he was talking more like a diplomat trying to maintain peace. Truth be told, that was exactly what he was doing. If things didn't go well, the first impression between Chon'sin and Plegia during the Summit would be a bloody one.

"That's besides the point-"

"That's enough, Lon'qu," a third party interrupted. The voice belonged to a woman. Her clothes were a mixture to those of Lon'qu and Yen'fay. While she wore little armor like Lon'qu, the style was closer to that of Yen'fay's, except it's color was white. Underneath it, she wore some sort of purple/violet tunic. Most of her legs were exposed, as cloth was divided, allowing for what Gregor assumed to be better mobility.

"Princess Say'ri…" Lon'qu was hesitant as to what to do. Going from the what she'd called the Chon'sin woman, that made her Yen'fay's sister-younger sister, going by her looks.

"We've come here for diplomacy, not to start a war." She turned her attention towards the black-clad swordsman. "Brother…"

Yen'fay exchanged a look with her sister for some time before turning to look at Lon'qu. He waved his hand at him. That was enough for Lon'qu to looked surprise, but at the same time, to relax his posture. He finally let go of his sword and stepped away from Gregor to take place besides his liege.

Robin and Yen'fai bowed to each other before the latter and his bodyguard left the scene. Gregor was finally free. He was able to relax for a bit.

"Many thanks," Gregor told both Robin and Say'ri.

"I must apologize for my brother and his bodyguard, Lon'qu," said the princes, bowing apologetically. "They can be stubborn, but they are good men. They are not used to life outside Chon'sin."

"I understand, no need to apologize," Robin said while smiling. "Oh, sorry, let me introduce everyone. My name is Robin. I'm the youngest son of Validar. The man you just saved is my bodyguard, Gregor." He turned over to see the approaching bunch that made up the rest of their party (except for king Validar, who was still indoors.) "That is Panne, the taguel representative. The short one is Nowi, the manakete representative. Then we have my sister, Aversa. And last but not least, Tharja. She's a friend of Aversa's."

"It is an honor to meet you all," Say'ri said. "I'll introduce myself once more, as most of you weren't here to hear my name. I'm Say'ri, younger sister to king Yen'fai of Chon'sin."

"Ah!" Nowi let out. "If you are Say'ri, does that mean lady Tiki is here?"

"Little girl wanting to meet another manakete, yes?" Gregor asked. Nowi was quick to nod at the words, which caused Say'ri to chuckle.

"Aye, I'm also lady Tiki's bodyguard. I will introduce you."

"That would be great," Robin said.

Say'ri then turned around to look in the opposite direction. Gregor couldn't tell what she was looking at exactly until he spotted an approaching figure on a red dress. He green hair and pointed ears gave her away. Sure enough, that had to be her.

"You've made friends, Say'ri," the more mature manakete said. "I'm glad."

"This is lady Tiki, also known as the Voice of Naga," Say'ri presented to the rest.

The process of introductions was repeated once more by Robin, although some of the others did take the initiative of introducing themselves.

"Lady Tiki, if you don't mind, I actually have something I would like to discuss with you," Robin said. "That is, if I can have a moment of your time."

* * *

 **EVmeatdrummer98**

I'm really glad you like it! It's interesting to think of how characters would be different from the game when you change around the past so much. Challenging, but it's hell-a-fun. On the game we didn't get to see much about most characters other than when they first join, so this story is my way to give everyone a well deserved piece of the pie by including them on plots.

 **Pikachu Angel the 1st**

Thank you very much~ You may be glad to hear that I do have a ton of stuff planned for this. When most of the stuff will show up, who knows? More than a few ideas are for the long run. Hope you'll still read on and maybe get to see some of those in the future.


	5. Gaius I

Sorry about the delay, everyone. I had this chapter down a couple of days ago, but then I had a heated discussion with a bunch of friends about manga, and I ended up binge reading a few of the ones they recommended. Not the best when you are trying to look for work too, haha!

Hope you enjoy this one! If you could leave a review to let me know what you think, that's appreciated. Also, remember to follow and/or favorite the story if you really like it.

* * *

Gaius I

The rope was set and all the servants were busy with other tasks to be aware of the most magnificent object in the room. When Gaius first spotted it that morning, he knew it had to be his. It would become his treasure. He would make a badge that he would wear with honor after getting a hold of it. All the preparations were ready. He'd made sure to check the route the servants moved as well as that of the royal guard and the Pegasus Knights. They were on higher alert than they'd been that morning, but he wouldn't let that stop him. He'd come too far to give up.

The windows the storage rooms in the palace had were at least three meters off the ground. Normally, no one would look up at them. Their only purpose was to keep the room somewhat ventilated and lit without the use of torches or candles that could damage the goods in it.

That's something he knew all too well. This wasn't the first time he'd tried to pull a job like that one. No, this was something he'd done many times since he was but a small boy. His hobby had become a fulltime obsession. He just couldn't stop. Even if he had the coin, he would still end up on the room of some store, castle, or palace waiting for his chance to steal the precious item, just like he was at that moment.

He double and even tripled checked that the coast was clear before he made his move. Slowly, he pushed open the window. A stick would keep it open for him to secure it as his escape route. One end of the rope was tied around his waist. The other, around a small support just outside. It would be enough to keep him from reaching the floor-the less evidence he left the better it would be for him in the long run, after all.

To move around, he held onto one of the wooden beams that were in reach. He was hanging upside down, moving as fast as he could without making any noise. Just because there was no one inside the room didn't mean that there wasn't some guard walking around outside. He had to be careful. To his advantage, he'd honed his skills through the years. This would be a piece of cake!

Some boxes nearby served his as a stepping stone when he jumped down. The creaking wood beneath him echoed through the mostly-empty room. This, however, didn't alert any of the guards, much to Gaius' relief. A few more similar moves brought him that much closer to his goal.

Within a few heart wrenching minutes, he hung precariously in front of it-the rope kept him from touching the floor, but it was also crushing his stomach as he was pushing himself from the side of the wall with his feet. With his hands extended, he touched it. Now his heart was beating purely out of excitement. His hands pulled back without the item in them. There was just a white, glorious shine to him fingers. Even in his position, he couldn't resist. He licked each finger.

"This is...incredible…," he muttered to himself as he finished licking the sugary icing from the cake he'd just touched. Yes, the cake _had_ to be his. It would be a good addition to his collection of entries in his book of most delicious sweets ever tasted. Too bad the chef would never get to see his face. Too bad that no one else would ever get to taste that particular cake. He could taste the hard work of the man that made it. "Well, come to papa!"

The cake was big. Some would say too big. If getting past armed guards, sneaking onto the roof of the palace, and entering a room unnoticed was something hard to believe, getting out of there with the monstrosity of a pastry was that much harder. He had to a number of _very_ well calculated jumps in order to even reach the window. The cake almost fell a couple of times, but he was able to regain enough balance to keep that from happening. And so, as quickly as he'd gotten in, he was out; victory was his and, oh, how sweet it was!

With the grand prize in the bag (literally, as he placed it inside a sack after placing some protective ware on it to keep it in shape,) he collected the rope and tried to make his escape. In order to do so, he was forced to go the quickest, yet most dangerous way. He moved back as far away from the ledge as possible. A misstep at that point would cost him a few broken bones, not counting in what the guards would do to him if they found him. Concentration was essential for all thieves. _Take a deep breath, you got this!_

Time slowed down to him. Every running step he took felt like it could be his last. He'd known people that slipped trying to escape and then fell off roofs to their deaths. This was serious business. He jumped as far as he could, trying to reach a branch from a tree across a narrow path. He was successful. Repeating this sort of jump, Gaius moved from tree to tree until he jumped onto the wall surrounding the palace. As he'd guessed before, that section of the wall was clear of guards.

To make his way down, he wrapped the rope he had around a crenelation on the wall, making sure to make a special knot that would let him untie it by pulling a certain way. Going down the wall was a lot easier than it had been to get up there when he first snuck into the palace-he just had to let his weight do most of the work. Once down on the ground, he repeated the process of collecting the rope before leaving the place.

Even if someone had spotted him leaving the palace, there was no way they would be able to track him down or even following him. Ever since he got to Ylisstol, he'd taken note of the crow of people that were out shopping. Just because not all nobles from the different powers were invited to the palace didn't mean that more than a few of them would come to the capital to make connections. Also merchants and craftsmen had taken this as an opportunity to showcase their skills/wares to the world. And so, blending in was quite simple.

He reached his hideout (a room in some bar/inn combo that was out of the way and super cheap) without a single altercation. He'd bumped into people a few times, but he'd made sure that the bag he was carrying his prize in was untouched by the masses. With all the care in the world, he set down said bag on the small side table-one of the few pieces of furniture in the room aside from a chair and the bed. The sack came off and then the special protective ware that he'd specially designed.

"What a sight!" The cake was in perfect condition. "Can't wait to get a taste of you."

He would've devoured the cake if he hadn't shown some self control. As big as the temptation was to just smack his head onto the cake and devour it all, there were still other things to do. It would have to wait. Instead, to keep his sweet tooth from aching, he popped one of the many lollipop he carried on a bandolier.

"That's the stuff," he said, taking in the sweet, sweet, sugary flavor of one of his prefered candies. Lollipops were awesome. They lasted for so long, as long as you didn't bite down on them. Of course, that's how most of the ones he had would meet their demise. "Now, time to get busy."

Collecting that cake had been just step one on his masterful plan. The second part would be sneaking back into the palace, but this time he would be going in as a guest. Yes, he had to go back and get a taste of _all_ the other desserts that would be shown. That way he could make a list of chefs to keep an eye on in the future. Plus, there was the added benefit of eating as much as he wanted. The downside was that he would have to keep a low profile so that no one questioned why he was there in the first place. That wouldn't be an easy task, but he was up for it.

For this he'd made preparations. For months he'd been working for certain people to do certain things to certain objects, all in the name of acquiring the funds he needed. With those, he was able to pay a good tailor-one that made incredible work, but wasn't known enough to be commissioned by real nobles-to make him the best set of clothes possible. As good as his own needlework was, he couldn't pull off something of that caliber. These were now laying on top of his bed, looking pristine as if they were new. Actually, they were new. There was no reason for him to wear them. Noble's clothing always looked funky and uncomfortable. The less time he had to spend wearing them, the better.

He took a look at himself after putting on the clothes. If it wasn't for his somewhat messy hair, which he'd just washed, he would look like a half decent noble. He wore white trousers and white cloak that covered all his back and covered his left arm. His shirt was purple with some gold inlay on it. It's puffy design reminded the thief of some he'd seen people of Valm wearing. That had been one of the few pointers he'd given the designer. Most people wouldn't question design aspects from people from across the sea, considering that fashion was so different on the other side.

"Looking good," he told himself in approval. The only down side of the outfit was that he couldn't carry any of his usual sweets. The pants lacked pockets as did the cloak. He was used to his own outfit, which had many hidden pockets; pockets full of sweets. It wasn't all that bad, though, as he would keep his stash from decreasing and get to eat many other things while at the palace.

Getting back in without an invitation wasn't going to be easy. Guards were posted everywhere now. Perhaps they'd taken note of the theft earlier and adjusted the security to compensate. He would have to wait. But as luck would have it, that wait wasn't longer than a few minutes, as a group was fast approaching the entrance. The small group was pretty average, for nobility that is. The only two that stood out to Gaius was a woman with pink hair that wore a cheerful smile, and a man that looked overconfident of his looks-chin up, chest out, a small smirk. Superiority complex, most likely. What was so good about this group in particular? They all wore clothes that were similar to his own! They had to be from some place in Valm.

With the expertise that only the best thieves could show, Gaius trailed behind the group. He had to keep close enough to look like he was part of it, but far enough that if one of them looked at him, they wouldn't know what he was trying to do. He couldn't stop his heart from racing when they reached the gate and a guard stopped them.

"Name, please," asked one of the royal guards.

"You've not heard of me, my good man?" The overconfident, light-blue haired man asked the guard. "Surely, you must know of the most accomplished archer there is! The man who can shoot an arrow through a falling ring. The man that can conquer any woman's hea-"

 _This guy is full of himself!_ Thought Gaius as he tried his best not to roll his eyes.

"This is Lord Virion of Rosanne," the pink haired woman interrupted, taking all the air out of the sails of that Virion guy. Gaius could only smirk when the man fell silent. Whoever this woman was, she was in control of this so called "lord."

"We are the party from Rosanne," she continued. "I apologize for our tardiness. Lord Virion kept ogling the different _assets_ Ylisstol has to offer."

The guard checked his list meticulously after taking in the faces in front of him, including a certain thief's. There was a moment of silence as they were forced to wait for the "okay" to head on in. This was a lot more nerve wracking than entering his usual way. Sneaking into some place undetected was easy. Doing so right through the main door and letting people see you do it, was on a whole different level.

"My apologies, milord," the guard finally said, once he was able to tear his eyes from the paper. "A lot of people have been trying to enter the premises without an invitation, so we've been forced to take extra precautions."

Could it be that the guard was referencing him?

A long, brown haired girl in pink armor jogged towards them, stumbling a couple of times as she did so. "Lord Viroin!" The girl was quick to say, making VIrion turn to look at the beauty that had called out his name. "I was worried something had happened to your group when you didn't show up with the people from Chon'sin or northern Valm. I'm glad to see you are okay."

"My, my, to make such a beauty worry for us, please, accept my apologies," said Virion before he took an exaggerated bow, which caused the poor girl to fluster as she tried to get a word out.

"You may ignore him, young knight," said the pinked haired woman. It looked like her patience was running thin. "May I ask for your name?"

"Ah, yes, milady!" The girl stood as straight as she could, proud to present the armor she wore, symbol that she was one of the order of the Pegasus Knights. "My name is Sumia. I'm pleased to meet you."

The pink haired woman looked satisfied, showing yet another sincere smile to the woman. "Likewise, Sumia. My name is Cherche. And do not fret over titles. I am no noble. I am simply a vassal to my lord."

"Ah! I-I'm sorry…"

"No need to apologize," said Cherche, trying to muffle a giggle after that. The flustered knight, Sumia, tried to remain composed. "Then, shall we?"

"Yes! I was told to take Lord Virion to see the Exalt on his arrival. Let me take you all to the garden first."

It had turned out a lot better than expected! Not only had he made it past the front gate undetected, but now he had an escort directly to the party! Things couldn't possibly get any better than this. He'd secured his place for the day. If it turned out to be that easy to enter the next coming days, he would die happy.

The garden, despite it's size, looked crowded too. The soft sound of all the people talking talking about this and that filled the air. It looked like everyone was having a good time. If Gaius cared more about international politics, he would see this as a good sign of things to come. However, he didn't feel like that was any of his business. He'd spent all his life in the Halidom of Ylisse. Things wouldn't change that much with either success or failure from the Summit.

Splitting off the group was also easy, seeing as he'd remained at the back from the start. No one noticed him doing so. He could now do what he _really_ wanted to do. His stomach reminded him of what it was with a growl. Not only that, his sweet tooth was aching. He'd finished the lolli he had long before reaching the gate-what kind of noble eats sweets like that in the outdoors? There had to be something nearby to settle down both of these feelings.

A friend of his had told him many times that if he continued to eat that much candy instead of having a balanced diet, he would surely perish at a young age. But vegetables sucked! Meat was pretty good, yet, given the option, he knew what he would truly chose to eat.

The air was not only filled with sounds. A mixture of different smells drifted throughout the garden. From perfumes that the ladies wore, to the smell of the finest cuts of meat, it was a great smell. He sniffed it again and again, taking it all in. Only then did he noticed the lack of some smells. _That's weird,_ he thought. He'd seen so many pastries be prepared earlier. Where were those?

 _Wait! Target acquired. Moving in_. On a long table covered with a white mantle, there was a tray that had just a _single_ cupcake remaining on it. It's frosting, white and fluffy as a cloud, was covered with a few chocolate chips. It looked delicious. It _had_ to be-no, it _would_ be his! He wasn't the only one to spot it. There was another man going towards it. That man was a lot closer than Gaius. He had to move, fast!

To intersect his enemy, Gaius bumped into him. He was pretending to look at some other place to make it look less deliberate.

"Ah, sorry there, Bubbles," said Gaius. "Didn't see ya."

"It was a small accident," said Bubbles. "I myself wasn't looking, so I should apologize as well."

What a good man. Too bad good guys finish last. Gaius left the man standing there. When he took a look back, he could see the other man confused at the missing cupcake, which Gaius now had in his hand. A little sleight of hand came in handy. To use it for something like stealing a cupcake, that's why he had developed such an odd reputation amongst other thieves.

He slowly brought the cupcake ever closer. His mouth was already watering just from imagining the taste. He slowly opened his mouth, ready to taste victory, but that never came. His eyes turned to look at a feminine hand that had his wrist on hold. "Huh?"

He followed the slender fingers to a hand, then towards the pink sleeve, and so on until he faced his "attacker." By his side stood a girl with blonde drills, with white bows on her head. She had tall leather boots, like a rider would, pink gloves, and a white shirt that was mostly covered by an intricate pink vest with heart shaped clasps.

"Why are _you_ here?" The girl asked with a mix of fury and venom. Her scowl was more than enough to send a chill down the thieves spine.

"Twinkles! What a coincidence!" He tried to brush her words with his own. "I didn't expect to see you 'ere."

"Clearly," the girl said, her tone nor her grip faltering. "But you haven't answered my question, Gaius."

"Would you believe me if I said that I missed you and wanted to tag along?"

The girl looked dead into his eyes. "No," she responded coldly. Figures. She never fell for his words.

"Even with those threads you call clothes, you can't call yourself even a passable noble given your mannerisms and way of speech. You should leave before you cause any trouble."

"Seesh. Relax, Twinkles. I got this."

"The only thing you will get is-"

"Maribelle!" A voice interrupted. The pair turned to look at the owner. It was another blonde girl. This one wore her hair in pigtails. She had a yellow dress on with a similar vest to that of Twinkles, although it didn't have the fancy clasps and it was leathery-brown color, which went well it the yellow of her dress. She certainly looked like a princess. That was obvious, as everyone knew that the girl was really a princess.

"Lissa, darling, it's so good to see you," said Maribelle, doing a complete 180 from when she was talking to him. Still, she refrained from letting go of him, something the princess noticed.

"Oh, I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?" Princess asked. Only then did Maribelle look over at Gaius, her fingers still wrapped around his wrist. She let go of him faster than someone who'd found a worm on an apple they were about to bite.

"No! No, no, no, you have the wrong idea!"

Gaius couldn't help but to smirk inwardly. He could use this to his advantage. Surely he would have to pay for it later, but for now, he would have some fun. "Why, Maribelle, I thought you said we were good friends!" He tried his best to look hurt-gritting his teeth and slumping ever so slightly. "And here I came all this way just to see you."

"You two know each other?" Princess asked.

"I met her through her father," Gaius confessed, which was true. "I helped him on some business some time ago. He introduced me to Maribelle because of it. Isn't that right, Twinkles?"

Princess took Maribelle's hands on her own, looking as excited as a puppy that has found its owner after a long time. "Maribelle! Is this your bethroned?! I'm so happy for you!"

"Pfft." Gaius had to do his best to keep a straight face. That certainly was a conclusion he hadn't been expecting. Things were turning out to be better than he'd expected.

"Me and _him_?!" Maribelle, on the other hand, wasn't enjoying the situation. "Never!"

"Don't be like that, Maribelle. It's mean to him. He did say he came all this way just to see you!" Princess had stars in her eyes. She was probably forming this elaborate, tragic romance of sorts in her mind like those found in books. "Oh, I'm sorry. Let me introduce myself! My name is Lissa."

Gaius took a bow, imitating that of Virion. "It's good to meet ya', Princess," he said. "I'm Gaius."

"Stop sassing around, you dimwitted troglodyte," Maribelle cut in. "You've had your fun. Let her hear the truth!"

If it hadn't been for past experiences, Gaius would've kept going for much, much longer. Fearing for his own safety, he gave in to the pressure. "Fine, fine," he said, relaxing his posture. "I'm not lying about how we met, but it's not _that_ kind of story. I just happen to be around here, so I wanted to take a look around. We just met by chance. Although, it's good to have a friend in this sort of place."

"Who are you calling a friend? I do not recall our relationship being of that sort either." Maribelle had certainly calmed down.

"I know what you mean," Lissa said, her arms crossed over her chest and her head bobbing up and down. "I don't particularly like this either, but Emm asked me to do my best, so here I am." She let out a sigh. "It's too bad. I can't pull any pranks like this!"

"Darling, that's no way a noble lady such as yourself should be acting," Maribelle scolded her friend.

"...Pranks, you say…?"

* * *

I _had_ to do a Gaius chapter. Man, I had a lot of fun writing this one. At first I had a little trouble thinking of who I could have him interact with. I finally decided on Maribelle as on their support conversations is shown that Gaius knew (of) her before the war. It made sense on my head. Of course, I couldn't just leave it be the same as in the game! More on their weird relationship will be revealed later on, don't you worry about that.

 **Muggzy** -Really appreciate it! I myself am really enjoying doing the POV switches between characters. Getting in the mind set of different characters can be challenging, but the reward is worth it in the end. I still have to decide what other characters will get POV's. Can't have too many at once. Maybe between arcs, if I reach that point, they'll change. I always imagined Lon'qu would be like that. His more reserved/cold personality goes well with being that one proud guard that shows up in anime and RPGs from time to time. And with someone like Yen'fay as his liege, well, there is bound to be trouble.

 **EVmeatdrummer98** -Thanks a lot! And don't worry. There will be a lot more of Aversa in the future too.

 **Dusk Mind** -I thought so like wise xD Since the first chapter, when I put the two together, I just imagine that scenario happening.

 **Pikachu Angel the 1st** -Oh, ho ho, if you only knew... The only problem is that some of the ideas I have are on a whole different tone to where the story is right now. The story will evolve, yes, but I have to make sure I bring in only the best of the best instead of everything that pops into my head.


	6. Chrom I

_Chrom I_

Since that morning it had been nothing more than greeting people over and over and over again. The hardest part was pretending to know who they all were. It was hard enough remembering the names of all the nobles from Ylisse showing up, but when so many come from other countries from all over the world, one can only become overwhelmed. Unlike his sister, Emmeryn, Chrom didn't have the memory required to memorize all the bits of information Phila had brought them. That had been why he'd only memorized the most important names. For everything else, there was Frederick. The knight would make sure to whisper the name of anyone approaching him so that the prince wouldn't look bad. But then the man left, following after Lissa, who'd spotted Maribelle entering and ran to her right away.

 _I wish Sully, Stahl, or even Vaike were here_ , he thought. Yet another guest was now walking away from him, happy to have had some time with the prince. _I could use them as an excuse not to talk with all these people_.

"Is something wrong, milord?" The feminine voice came from his right. Chrom turned to look at Cordelia, who looked even more concerned for him over his sigh than her words would lead him to believe. "You look tired. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"I'm fine, Cordelia," the prince said. "I'm just not used to this type of setting. I may be royalty, but I was never much to mingle with nobles. I can only admire Emmeryn for being able to keep up with everything without help."

"Then how about going out to the courtyard? Some fresh air can do good to you, milord," Cordelia suggested. "There's also the fact that there aren't as many people there as there are in here at the moment."

Naga bless her. Had she been keeping a close eye on him all along and noticed that he was getting uncomfortable? The idea of getting some time to relax was tempting. _Maybe I should ask Lissa and Maribelle to come with me_ , he thought. Having more people around would keep others from approaching, or at least that's what Chrom assumed.

"Lets look for Lissa first. Knowing her, she will want to join us as well." Cordelia looked at him surprised, mouth slightly agape, before turning to look the other way. Chrom could've sworn he saw the slightest tinge of a blush on her cheeks. He wondered if he'd said something embarrassing or out of line. Last thing he wanted was to make her uncomfortable when she had been assigned by Phila to watch over him.

Regaining her composure, Cordelia turned back to look at him. "Y-Yes, we should look for her, then." There was no way he would be able to apologize now. Next time, if he found himself on the same situation, he would make sure to apologize.

Following after Cordelia, Chrom was able to avoid any new (he didn't even know if they were new or he'd simply forgotten already who they belonged to) faces from spotting him sneaking around. He felt like when he wa sa child trying to get into the kitchen to steal a snack without any of the maids finding out. It was oddly fun.

Finally, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Lissa looking out into the courtyard, half hidden behind the wall. Maribelle was with her, and, guessing by the way she stood, was probably lecturing the younger princess. That wasn't much of a surprise, as Maribelle was known to always try an make Lissa act more like the lady she should be. But what came more as a surprise were the other two faces that were with them.

Chrom stopped Cordelia and pointed out Lissa from the crowd. As the two approached them, he could hear the conversation between his sister and the man that was, like her, half hiding behind the wall.

"Do you think it will work?" Lissa asked the man, a little to excited about whatever "it" was.

"Watch and learn, Princess," said the man, full of confidence. Chrom was already getting the feeling that whatever "it" was, it wouldn't be good, considering how excited Lissa was.

"What are you doing?" Chrom asked as he and Cordelia finally reached the group of four. Lissa jerked from the surprise of hearing her brother's voice before she slowly turned to look at Chrom, who had a disapproving look in his eyes. "If this is one of your pranks, you should call an end to it before you cause trouble for Emm."

"What? You are no fun…" Lissa hid her hands behind her back, swaying back and forth innocently. "What makes you think that I did anything, anyway?"

"For one, the way you started that…" Chrom said. "Please don't tell me you are going to do anything to one of the guests."

"I'm sorry, milord," came the voice of Maribelle, who had bowed her head down to him. "I tried to stop her but she wouldn't have it."

"Peace, Maribelle. I know you tried your best, as you always do. Lissa is just _that_ stubborn."

"Maybe we can stop it before anything happens," Sumia said as she looked at Cordelia for help. "It's not too late."

"Do you know what's going on, Sumia?" Cordelia asked.

"Ehm… Not exactly, no… But if anything were to happen, the Captain won't be happy about it."

For a second Chrom had forgotten that Phila had made sure to have the Pegasus Knights on the lookout. If anything were to happen under her watch, then it would come back to bite her. Chrom cringed, balling up his fists. He liked Phila. She was really good with Emm, and he knew that Emm really liked their friendship as well. But if something were to happen that gave her bad rep, her position as the Pegasus Knights' Captain and Emmeryn's bodyguard would come into question by the counsel.

"It's just a small prank meant for Frederick," Lissa said, putting and giving puppy eyes to Chrom. Had she done it to someone else, maybe it would've worked. He had grown used to them. To him, they were nothing. "It's no big deal!"

"If it's no big deal, we can still stop it, right?" Chrom asked.

"No can do, Blue," said the man who was still looking out into the courtyard. "Take a look."

The bunch of them gathered around the man. Sure enough, there was Frederick, walking towards one of the tables with a bunch of food. With him were Duke Virion and Lady Cherche, the Rossane representatives.

"Wait, don't tell me whatever is going to happen will also hit them."

"Relax, I'm nothing if not precise with my work. It'll just him one person." Chrom couldn't help but wonder what line of work exactly was the man talking about. Was he some sort of inventor? Or maybe an artisan?

"There is goes!" Lissa was practically jumping in anticipation, leaving Chrom all the more confused. He still didn't know what exactly "it" was or what was supposed to happen.

He'd been so busy looking at the other's reactions that he'd missed Lissa saying, "oh, no…" All he heard coming from the courtyard was a splashing sound. He looked back to see what had unfolded only for him to go cold.

Frederick, Duke Virion, and Lady Cherche were looking in bewilderment at the scene too. Robin, whom gods only knew when he'd gotten there, had a face plastered with honey. He could see that some of the people around him were laughing at it, mainly Lady Aversa, Lady Tharja, and the manakete Nowi. Frederick, Gregor, and even Cherche started looking for something nearby that they could use to get the substance off of the man.

Chrom quickly got a hold of Lissa's wrist and started pulling her towards the Plegian prince. There was no way they could just pretend that didn't happen. Frederick would surely know who had planted a trap like that. Chrom would have to get Lissa to apologize quickly and maybe offer the man something to clean himself with before anything worse happened.

As if what had happened wasn't strange enough, the taguel woman, Panne, started _licking_ the honey off of Robin's face. At first it looked like Robin was fine with that, almost as if he was used to it. This caused Lady Aversa to laugh even louder, causing Robin to finally react.

"Wait, Panne. Stop!" He took a step back to create some distance between them. "You shouldn't do that here!" Cherche had returned by then with a wet cloth and handed it him to get what was left of the honey off. Panne had done an extraordinary job of getting most of it in just a few licks. He thanked the woman before slowly using the cloth to clean his face.

"You never had a problem with it before," said Panne. Chrom couldn't believe his ears! He hadn't considered the two of them to have _that_ kind of relationship. They looked like good friends at most when he first talked to them. Then again, it was entirely possible for him to have missed any hints about it. When it came to romance, he was a newbie.

"That's because those other times we were with your warren and they know there is no deeper meaning behind it," Robin explained. So it really meant nothing? That was...hard to believe. Then again, Chrom didn't know much about the Taguel. Even while there still were some in Ylisse, people would hardly talk about them.

"Robin," the bluenette called out the first chance he got. Maribelle, Sumia, Cordelia, and the man that had (allegedly) set up the trap had followed him to talk with Robin. When everyone turned to look at him, he continued. "I'm sorry about what happened. Lissa was trying to get Frederick."

With no more honey on his face and the laughed behind him dying out, Robin looked turned to look at Chrom and Lissa. The princess was trying to hide behind her brother, although she did look guilty. Chrom pushed her into full view and told her, "come on, Lissa. Don't you have something to say?"

Lissa sighed. She had to know there was no way around it. "I'm sorry about the prank… Who would've known you were going to come up at _just_ the wrong time and stand in the _only_ wrong spot."

"That hardly sounds like an apology, Lissa."

"Geez, I said I was sorry, didn't I?"

"It's quite alright," Robin said as he placed the cloth Cherche had given him just moments before. "It was all in good jest, no? I think it was a pretty funny joke. I would've laughed myself had I not fallen victim to it. In any case, no harm done."

"Except to your ego," Aversa chimed in. Instantly, the soft smile that Robin had given the siblings disappeared, replaced by one that Chrom interpreted as saying "kill me now." The guy had it rough. All Chrom could do was feel even worse for him.

"Well, if you'll excuse us, I need to have a word with my sister," said Chrom. He felt awkward just standing there. The relationship Robin had with his sister was really different from Chrom's with Lissa and Emmeryn. Truth be told, he didn't want to see the guy being put down any more than there others there. The best option was to retreat. Without waiting for an answer, Chrom led Lissa away, followed by Cordelia, Sumia, Maribelle, that man, and Frederick.

"You are lucky he took it so well," said Chrom once they'd returned inside. "Had it hit anyone else, who knows what would have happened. You need to be more careful, Lissa. Think about all the work Emmeryn has put into this event."

"I know, I'm sorry!" Lissa looked down to her feet. "I'll make sure to be more careful next time."

"Darling, I don't think you should consider there being a next time at all after that," Maribelle said, disapproving of Lissa's choice of words." She then turned to look at the strange man that had helped set up everything. "And you, Gaius! I know I can't expect much from you, but to corrupt Lissa like that! Why would you help her do such a thing?"

Gaius shrugged. "Princess had a good idea to lively things up. This place could really use more people like her. You could learn a thing or two from her, you know?"

"Wha- I don't know where I should even start, you scoundrel! Talking with you only causes me frustration!"

"Come on, Maribelle, you shouldn't talk to Gaius like that," said Lissa. "He came to see _you_!"

"Oh, is he your bethroned, Maribelle?" Chrom asked.

"NO!" Maribelle's voice got carried through the room, causing some of the other guests to throw glances at them. Maribelle, feeling embarrassed, tried to compose herself. "I mean, father would _never_ dare to arrange a marriage for me without my consent. And on the list of candidates, this excuse for a man is at the very bottom."

"Oh-ho~ I made the list this time," said Gaius with a sly grin.

"Riiight…" Chrom said, trying to get a grasp on what was being said. Did that mean that they were dating, or not? "In any case, Lissa, stay out of trouble. I know I can count of Maribelle and Frederick to keep an eye on you this time around."

"I'll make sure she doesn't get a chance to attempt something like that again, milord," said the knight. "I had my guard down before, thinking she wouldn't try one of her infamous pranks while the Summit was underway. Now that I know that's not the case, I won't hold back anymore."

"Good to know, Frederick the Wary. I'll go check up on Emmeryn. I hope that she is doing better than we all are." Chrom rubbed his head, thinking about his older sister. In comparison to him and Lissa, she was on a whole different league when it came to this world. If someone could be relaxed, it was her. "Let's go, Cordelia."

It had been easier said than done. The two of them searched for Emmeryn, but the hall had become so crowded that it was difficult to spot anyone in the sea of faces. They decided to take a break, taking a seat in one of the few empty tables that were indoors. The slight breeze coming in through the many windows and open doors kept the air fresh, but still, Chrom didn't like it all that much. But after what had happened with Robin, he thought it would be best to keep his distance from him.

"Mind if I join you?"

Chrom turned to look at the owner of the voice. It was Validar, the current King of Plegia. He was surprised to see Validar approach him of all people. Most of the other major guests had taken priority in talking with Emmeryn. As she was the one that would make any important decisions, they wanted to get on her good side, most likely.

"By all means," the bluenette said, extending his hand towards one of the empty chairs. Validar sat down, bringing with him a cup of wine, which he set down on the table. It was weird seeing such an important man walking around all by himself. Robin had Gregor and Nowi and Panne had kept close by at all times. Aversa had Tharja. Lissa was with Frederick and now Maribelle and Gaius too. Emmeryn was being guarded by Phila. And Chrom had Cordelia for the time being. The only others he'd seen without any bodyguards or entourage were the two khans, although they were with each other. That had to count for something.

"I'll get you something to drink, milord," said Cordelia, who then stood up and swiftly went out into the crowd to fetch a cup before Chrom had a chance to protest.

"You handled the situation well back there," Validar said all of a sudden. "Though, I'm glad Robin was the one hit. You don't see him been made to look like a fool. Aversa likes to take advantage of the times it does happen, though. Ha ha!"

"I appreciate it…?" Chrom wasn't entirely sure how to react. Laughing at the man's son didn't feel right. But then, if he didn't laugh, was that bad too? "He took it like a champ."

Validar nodded. "That's how he's always been. I get the feeling that the two of you would get along."

"Is that so?"

Validar nodded once again before taking a sip of his wine. "Very much so. Call it intuition. Perhaps had things been different, you two would've been good friends already." Chrom arched an eyebrow. The conversation had taken an unexpected turn. Though it was nothing compared to what was to come.

"Perhaps we should join or two families and see?"

"...You mean you want to marry Robin to one of my sisters?" Both Emmeryn and Lissa were already of marrying age, but for some reason Chrom had never given it much thought. He was starting to feel somewhat uncomfortable.

"How many people do you think came here for that same reason?" Validar asked. "What a better chance is there than this to create new connections and establish alliances than through marriage?"

"I don't have anything against Robin. I'll be happy to have him as part of our family if Lissa or Emmeryn fall for him." Cordelia returned with a cup of wine, the same kind that Validar was drinking. He quickly thanked the redhead, who smiled back, and took a sip of it, enjoying its taste.

"You misunderstand me, my dear prince. I was talking about a marriage between you and my daughter."

Chrom started choking on the wine. He hit his chest a few times to clear out his throat. When the wine finally went down the right path, he looked at Validar, who was grinning back at him. "W-wouldn't it be better for her to marry one of the lords of Plegia?" Chrom wished that the king wouldn't detect his nervousness.

"I don't think any of them would be able to handle my Aversa or Plegia, for that matter. Do you disapprove of my choice?"

"No, not at all...but this is too sudden for me to even think seriously! Wouldn't it be easier to have Robin marry?"

"Very much so, yes. Since a young age he's made his name well known in Plegia—traveling all over the place every time he had the chance—and even the world, as you probably heard already from the khans.

"Because of that, the prospect of marriage for him have come up many times. I would consider marrying him off to someone from Ylisse...was he not already promised to someone else."

"Robin is engaged?"

"Yes, although neither of he nor his bethroned know of it yet."

"Isn't that something that they should learn sooner rather than latter?"

Validar chuckled. "You are right, prince. But the Summit came before me and her father had a chance to talk about it with them. So now we can only wait until after this event is concluded to tell them." He finished drinking his wine and turned to look at Chrom. "I believe I can trust you not to tell him about this?"

* * *

A pretty lighthearted chapter. I'm trying to decide on a few factors that could end up changing the feel of this story as a whole in the future (how far depends on how much I decide on and how soon too.) That was one of the factors that kept me from writing another chapter for a bit longer than I would've liked to. I'll keep you guys informed as to what I decide on as I post more chapters.

Hope you guys enjoyed that chapter. Trying to slowly bring in different groups only to split off again is kinda fun on its own way, hehe.

Remember to leave a review to let me know what you think of the chapter/story so far. Also, if you really liked it, add this to your follows and/or favorites!

 **potatoman098** -I started this out thinking it would focus more on politics and characters as a whole than on combat. I'm not saying there _won't_ be any combat, just that it won't be amazing battle scenes. More than likely, at least for now, if there is any you readers will only get to know about it after it's already happened. That's unless it's really important to the story. In any case, thanks for your encouraging words! I'm glad you like it so far :D

 **EVmeatdrummer98** -Those things he does for candy would be great stories for his children and grandchildren, especially because they sound so epic, but all he gets is candy xD


	7. Panne II

Did you think this was cancelled?! Heck no! I've been sitting with a break down for this chapter for the longest time but was having a hard time getting in the mojo for this story. Sorry about that! But! Here it is! Finally, some might say. I gotta say, after what's been going on in my other stories, coming back and writing for this one was fun, hahaha (not that writing the other two aren't fun!)

Anyways, enough about that. Hope you guys like this one! Remember to leave a review to let me know what you think and to follow and/or favorite the story if you really like it. Enjoy~

* * *

 _Panne II_

"You keep denying it, but what happened made it very clear to all present, dear brother," said Aversa to Robin, who couldn't look more embarrassed, though he tried to play it off. If it weren't for his slightly red cheeks, now one would be able to tell. Panne hadn't thought about it until Robin mentioned it, but outside of taguel society, doing something like _that_ could be interpreted as skinship between romantic partners, not equals. A strange notion for someone that grew up away from human society. In the warren, it was commonplace for her people to clean each other like that. Without any mirrors, they would do it as to save the others from the embarrassment of walking around with food on their face. It had no romantic implications whatsoever. It just showed a level of trusts between two individuals, nothing more, nothing less.

Since Robin had first showed up at her warren, he'd tried to learn more and more about the taguel. The man was always asking questions to satisfy his curiosity and to know of the proper way to act around them. As such, he quickly adapted to what would be expected in their society. He'd never gone as far as cleaning someone else's face like she had just moments before, but he could somehow blend in well within the warren that most thought of him as another taguel. And yet, for as much as he'd learned, he never preached what humans thought was right or wrong to them. He would often compare them when talking, but he never expected anyone to adapt to him, given that he was the one intruding on their territory. Even to that point, Panne knew very little about human society, which was troublesome for an event such as the Summit. She would be forced to interact with many humans from all over the known world, many of which had never seen a taguel before in their entire lives other than perhaps books. And even worse, she was out of her element. She was a fighter, not a political leader. She had the respect of her people, but making decisions that affected all of them on a scale greater than their own territory was a type of pressure she'd never been under nor did she desire.

"You should start learning about the taguel and manakete customs, Aversa," Robin scolded, shooting back a glare at the princess. "As the future queen of Plegia, you should learn some more about your people's culture. Plegia has become a diverse society, you know?"

"Father has you to deal with that," the older sibling retorted. "I will have you do the same when the time comes." She smirked as Robin kept on glaring at her. "And to make sure you stay, I will have you marry Tharja here. I'm sure you two will make each other very happy."

Yet another concept alien to Panne. Arranged marriages. Humans' family heads choosing marital partners for their offspring in order to gain power or stabilize tensions between two forces that could else find themselves in combat. It was a despicable concept. To marry anyone but the most suitable of mates was sacrilege. To make a warren stronger, taguel seeked out strong mates to have strong children with. That's the way nature intended it to be. And in the cases of same-sex partners, at least they would make each other stronger, and that on its own way was enough. Love was a great factor in it too, although to what extent it came into play varied from one to another.

Tharja looked exhilarated by just the possibility to the point of shivering. She turned her head down, having her bangs cover her eyes, but the grin on her face revealed what she was thinking. "I would gladly stay by your side," the girl said as she clutched her tome closer to her chest and then chuckled maliciously. It was no secret that the girl was fond of Robin. Everyone in the castle knew it… except for the man himself.

"Oh! Oh! Can I be one of your bridesmaids?" Nowi quickly asked, looking too excited for something that wasn't set in stone in first place. "I've never been to a human's wedding, but I've read a lot about them! It sounds like a lot of fun! Especially the thing with the cake."

Aversa ignored the manakete, continuing, "I won't judge her on her decision, but you two will have to discuss whether or not you can keep your _playthings_ around after you exchange rings. Polygamy might be legal, but it is still frowned upon afterall."

"So you did learn from father… What a surprise," said Robin. "You are starting to sound a lot like him. I find it...unsettling. But enough of that!" He waved a hand as if physically dismissing the idea. "Father is healthy and I don't see that changing anytime soon. And I'll be damned if I were to let anyone else but me chose who I marry. I'll go into self exile if that ever happens."

That was one of the things that Panne admired about this particular human male. Despite his position, he would do things his own way. Instead of walking down the path others intended for him, he would do as he pleased. Though Aversa would nag and tease him from start to finish. And sometimes, like the few times that had already happened since they'd arrived at the party, that would include the taguel and the manakete too. Panne hadn't known the princess for long, but for some reason the topic of a romance between the fierce warrior and the tactician was a topic that came up over and over again, which caused many misunderstandings when word got around in her warren… And when Nowi kept yapping about it too, well, let's just say that a few asses had to be kicked for the rumors to stop.

After Aversa teased Robin enough to be satisfied, she decided to take her leave. Robin putting little to no fight must have bored her. The princess took Tharja with her to look for something more entertaining to do. Almost instantly, Robin let out the most defeating sigh Panned had heard from the man yet. It spoke volumes about his mental state if he had grown up with a sister like that for his whole life. Then again, given how strong he was, could it be that his sister was even stronger if he dared not challenge her…?

"Little girl with tongue of snake looking sad," Gregor commented after the two human females left, snapping Panne out to reality, something that didn't happen often. "Gregor thinking she wanting lovey-dovey relationship with Robin, yes?"

"Yeah, Robin, don't be so mean to Tharja!" Nowi piped in, puffing out her cheeks, her hands on her hips. "Think about her feelings too! She's a nice girl!"

"It isn't as if I was trying to be mean to _her_ ," Robin said defensively. "Aversa keeps trying to get us together, gods know why. I'm sure she is a good girl. I really do, but I can't help it when _someone_ is forcing me to be close to her! Doesn't help that she would sneak around, following me at times and not giving any sort of explanation when I asked what she was trying to accomplish. Actually, she doesn't even talk to me other than to dismiss the conversation!"

"Robin be having many beautiful ladies around him like flower do the attracting to bees," Gregor said. "Some of Gregor be rubbing off on him! Ha!"

"You think too highly of yourself, merc," Panne said, frowning at the older man. "I've never seen you with a single woman at your side for as long as I've known you. I think that it, like many of your stories, is a figment of your imagination. I hear humans starting going senile when they reach a certain age."

"What is this with all the hurting of Gregor's feelings? Gregor always saying the truth! Why is bunny always so cold to dear old Gregor? What of friendship?"

"Okay, okay. That's enough, you two," Robin cut in as he stepped between them. "As pleased as I am that you turned the spotlight away from me, Panne, I hardly believe this is the time or place for this." Panne raised an eyebrow. She hadn't intended to switch the conversation towards Gregor to protect the Plegian prince. It'd just happened that way. She would've voiced this had he not spoken up again, snatching away the chance to correct him. "I can't have you two arguing, especially here of all places. We've already brought a lot of unwanted attention to ourselves with the princess' prank and all that." Panne looked around and, sure enough, some of the local nobles were staring in their direction. Whenever her eyes would connect with one of the bystanders, they would look away and pretend they hadn't been staring.

"Robin be doing with the paranoia," Gregor said. "People having many reasons to stare at us. Manakete and taguel not common sight in Ylisse. Mercenaries neither. Not in fancy parties unless big battle takes place."

"Fair point," said Robin as he rubbed his chin. "Perhaps we should split up then."

"What for?" Panned asked. "I am not bothered by people looking at me for being taguel. It's not the first time nor will it be the last."

Nowi shrugged her shoulder and then nodded in agreement. "Me neither. It's not like they are asking me to transform for them like those _freaks_ did before. I bet I just have them charmed~" Somehow, Panne doubted that…Though there were some men that prefered someone with a more...undeveloped physic.

"In any case," Robin continued, "we came here to talk about keeping the peace. It would do us some good to introduce ourselves to more people around here. You know, mingle? If nothing else, to make acquaintances. That could serve as an advantage once the official talks begin tomorrow. Besides, meeting new people from different parts of the world is always interesting! Think of the stories they bring with them! You could learn a lot by just listening."

"What do you call what we've done thus far?" Panne asked, crossing her arms. "We've already introduced ourselves to the "major players" here, as your father called them. What's the point of going around and doing the same with others?"

Robin sighed, making Panne frown. "Yes, but if those were the only ones that mattered there wouldn't be this many people here. That's why the guild masters will be attending too. I wish the leader of the Fighters Guild from Ylisse would be here. You two would have that much to talk about." What he said was true. There had to be at least a hundred other people in the palace that had been invited that they'd yet introduce themselves too. But it was a bother… Had she known she would have to deal with all of this then she would have forced her brother to take her place. "I think we should split off and cover some ground. So far we've being going around as a group. It would be best if we try to divide and conquer."

Nowi laughed. "You make it sound like this is a fight!"

"It is a fight! The weapons are just different. Instead of steel, or stones in both of your cases, we use words and paper. Why don't you two go back inside and see who you can find? Gregor and I will take the courtyard, given that it's bigger and there are more and more people coming out here."

"Yes, sir!" Nowi mocked-saluted Robin before given her best impersonation of a marching soldier. Before she could get too far away, she turned their way again. "When should we regroup, sir?"

Robin chuckled. "The Exalt will be giving a speech inside sometime soon. We will meet at our assigned table after it. By then they will start serving dinner too. We can exchange intel then, got it soldier?" Was he really going along with it? Panne sighed as she watched the exchange, which ended when both of them exchanged the Plegian salute. In the end, she was dragged away by the greenette, who was eager to see who was taking the task way too seriously.

The hall was just as Robin had described it. Despite everyone making their way inside the palace through there, the foot traffic wasn't as bad as it was in the courtyard. In Panne's case, she regretted going back in there. The echoing sound of footsteps, chatter, and clinking of glasses was deafening. She could endure it. If she could only focus on one thing, then she would be fine. The easiest and closest thing? Nowi. From the ruffling of her cape to the sound of her bouncing steps, Panne focused her full attention on her. Doing so would also keep others from approaching her, at least. Nowi was into the scenario Robin had built, but the taguel was far from it. As they continued to navigate through the flood of people, they came to a stop when two familiar faces crossed their paths.

"Ah, what do we have here?" The flamboyant man said. "The two exquisite beauties making their way around without any escort to speak of? My! And here I thought lord Robin would be keeping a close eye on the both of you. But his loss is my gain! How do you fare, miladies?"

"Oh, it's the Duke!" Nowi turned to look at Panne to confirm it. "Wait, we spoke with him already. Does this count?"

"You wound me, milady!" The man feign pain as he clutched his shirt over his heart and made a hurt face. "Though I am glad to hear that you remember who I am. And you, lady Panne, I am most overjoyed to see you." The man somehow had gotten hold of her right hand and gently, but firmly, brought it up until it contacted with his lips- Wait! Had he just…?! She immediately pulled her hand back, balling it into a fist, ready to strike. Her actions took the other three by surprise, who eyed her with all their attention.

"Who do you think you are to do such a thing?" Panne asked, full of fury, though she controlled the volume of her voice. "Do you think yourself strong enough to claim me for your own, man-spawn?" If what the man wanted was a challenge, then he got it! The man had guts, to do such a thing in a crowded place meant to be all about peace.

"W-Wait! Please, milady!" The man waved his hands in front of him as he took a step back. "There has to be a misunderstanding! That clearly didn't mean the same to you as it did to me."

"In Rosanne, a man kisses the back of a woman's hand when he fancies her or thinks of her as an equal or of more renown than himself," the pink haired woman, Cherche, explained. For a bodyguard, she looked pleased to see her leash in a bad position. She didn't look like she would intervene at all if a fight were to start.

"Panne, maybe we should go talk to some other people," Nowi said as she reached for the warrior's hand either to calm her down or to prevent a fist from flying at the Duke. Panne huffed, keeping a close eye on Viroin as she was lead away by an apologetic Nowi. "Sorry about that! Hope we can talk some other time!" Gods, she hated this...

* * *

Little hints here and there about what the taguel are like. I'm basing a lot of this stuff out of things that pop into my head. I have no idea how accurate they might or might not be!

Because of how this story works, I want to know some of the things you guys might be interested in seeing. I'm not promising that I'll include all of the ideas you guys bring me, but if I find something interesting I'll make sure to make a chapter about it. You can suggest pairings too. I know it's hard when not a lot of characters have been introduced yet, but let's see what you guys were thinking. I don't have any pairings set in stone just yet myself.

Reviews!

 **potatoman098** -I completely agree. I really like being able to come up with entirely new ideas from the ground up for a group of characters we all know and love. It makes it easier to explore things that never got explained on the games, plus, it's just fun! The only down side is that you can't rely on a per-written set of events that you can use to pull yourself through writer's block. Good guy Validar is just misunderstood...maybe? I don't know why I keep thinking of him as Francis Underwood from House of Cards lol. Oh, for sure. There will be fighting. The scale of it will be most likely smaller unless things take a sour turn and a new war starts. I think I only have two more characters that I have to figure out how to bring in. All in all, not too bad. Once the second day starts, which will begin in one or two more chapters, we will get the second influx of characters show up. And thanks! I'm glad you are enjoying the story so far!

 **EVmeatdrummer98 -** What's better than an embarrassed Robin after an awkward situation? Having everyone see it and misinterpret it, of course! This didn't come anywhere near "soon", but I hope you still read it .

 **Rihan K.A** -I hadn't thought about people searching for stories that way, now that you bring it up. I honestly chose those four for different reasons (Gregor and Phila mainly because there are _no_ stories about them at all!) I'll see how it goes once I replace one of those names for Robin. For the summary, I changed it to see how that does. Who knows? Might see a lot more views now? I hope so! The politics are what made me love shows like House of Cards and books like ASoI &F. I'm not saying that this story will get to those levels, especially when the rating is K+ (could change to T if need be,) but I do want to have dramatic moments like in those without having character get into a sword fight. As for the future generations, I'm not sure. I don't see how they would fit in. Then again, it could be that they landed on this peaceful timeline and don't know what the heck is going on haha! Check my profile again for _Uncertain Times_. I made it going off of that idea, though they aren't heading to Ylisse any time soon. Also, rated M, for a change... Read at your own risk?


	8. Phila III

_Phila III_

Despite all earlier setbacks in the form of late arrivals and the minor theft of pastries, by the time Exalt Emmeryn had finished her speech, the day felt like it couldn't be more perfect. All the guest clapped and cheered as they made their wholehearted approval known. It gave a sense of unity; of hope for a better future—a future without war where they could all live peacefully. Phila clapped along with them. Even if peace between nations was achieved, she knew better than to know that she would be out of a job should the peace talks be successful. There were many other things to fight inside their own borders, unfortunately.

The knight walked with her liege as they made their way to the table designated for the royal family and close friends. It had been decided early on that to ease everyone into the event, the first night they would eat with the people from their own nation. _Another wise decision made by her highness_ , though Phila as she glanced over at the Exalt. Despite her young age, she already knew how to go about politics like the best of them. The knight had complete faith that with her at the forefront of the talks, it was as good as settled.

The two of them were the first ones to arrive at the table. It was of modest size, no different from the others around them. It was meant to be a sign that everyone present was an equal and should treat each other as such. This, however, was something Phila hadn't been pleased with, not because she disagreed with the symbology, but because she felt it put Emmeryn in harm's way. She'd tried to convince Emmeryn to go for a safer option, but she refused every other alternative. In the end, Emmeryn would always chose the option that put her at risk if it meant that it could help her reach her goal of peace.

The Exalt had been seated for a while with Phila standing by her when prince Chrom came to join them, followed by Cordelia. He took the place to the right of the Exalt, with the redheaded Pegasus Knight standing behind him like Phila was with Emmeryn. Cordelia had been doing an excellent job of guarding the prince. Phila had noticed how attent she was to him. The little movements she made would mean nothing to an untrained eye, but Phila trained _every_ Pegasus Knight. She knew that in subtle ways, her junior was moving to defend the prince if it came to that.

"You've been going around for quite some time, Chrom," Emmeryn commented as she smiled at her younger brother. "For someone that claims not to have much experience in this matters, you've been handling yourself splendidly. I even noticed you speak with King Validar at one point. What do you think of this so far?"

The prince sighed, leaning back on her chair. Had Frederick seen this, he would scold the prince. But the knight was nowhere to be seen, most likely having trouble keeping up with the young princess. Finding some energy, the prince responded, "it isn't as bad as I first thought it would be, I guess. There are interesting people out there that don't care only about politics, at least not for today. Still, I don't envy you, Emm. I don't know how you can do this and still look so lively. Only a few hours of talking with a forced smile and pretending to be interested in everything others say is exhausting. As for King Validar… I don't even want to think about it..."

It wasn't often that the Exalt got caught by surprise by the actions or words of her siblings. Ever since Phila could remember, the three were very close to each other, being able to read one another with ease. So when Emmeryn stared at her brother, speechless, Phila knew there was something not quite right, after all, it was even more rare for the Exalt not to find words to say.

Phila looked at the prince to see if there was a hint of being tangled with something dangerous. Not that she thought Chrom was unfit to defend himself. On the contrary, she knew how good of a fighter he was. But it was part of her duty to make sure he wasn't in any trouble, whether he liked it or not. This prompted her to ask, "Has something happened between yourself and the Plegian King, milord?"

"Huh?" Chrom turned to look at her, confused with her question. "O-Oh, no, no! I didn't mean it like _that_ , Phila. We just had an...awkward conversation, it's all. I would rather not get into it..."

Phila wasn't satisfied with that answer, however. By the way Lord Chrom was acting, it was as if the King Validar had threatened him and/or his family. Such an act was an unforgivable offense! And to do in an occasion like the Summit? It would be the same as spitting at the Exalt! King Validar was either an idiot or a genius.

Phila wasn't the only one that didn't look convinced. Emmeryn was looking directly at Chrom, as if looking for hints of what he meant, but he was avoiding eye contact at all costs, distracting himself with the silverware on the table. When it was clear that he would say no more on the topic, she turned to look at Phila. The two had known each other for long enough that they had developed a non-verbal language as well. One can get to know another when they spend close to every waking moment together. Because of this, Phila knew _exactly_ what she _had_ to do. "Cordelia," she said, looking towards the redhead, who stiffened under her Captain's harp tone. "Report in on what happened during this conversation between Lord Chrom and King Validar."

"H-Hey, wait a second here!" Chrom protested. Phila noted the slight coat of sweat forming on his brow and the discoloration on his face as he tried to talk. He turned to look at Cordelia first, then at Phila, then Cordelia one more time, before settling back on Phila. "It's really not a big deal! I swear!"

It pained Phila to see prince Chrom reduced to such a state. In her mind, she was cursing King Validar for whatever it was he had done. Phila kept looking down at Cordelia, who kept looking between Chrom and her Captain, her eyes uncertain on what to do. Phila did her best to stare her down. Whether she liked it or not, reporting in on everything she had heard was part of the bodyguard's job. And as her subordinate, Cordelia didn't have any option than to follow the orders she had received. Mouthing an "I'm sorry" to the prince, she turned to Phila, looking almost defeated. "I… I missed part of the conversation as I was fetching some wine for Chrom, but... As I was returning, I overheard them talking about a possible marriage between prince Robin and her highness or possibly princess Lissa. Though the conversation quickly turned when King Validar proposed a marriage between his daughter and prince Chrom…"

"Chrom! That's a horrible thing to do to your sisters!" Princess Lissa walked towards her brother, pouting and scowling. When she reached him, she promptly punched him on the shoulder. The prince flinched more out of surprise than the hit being that strong. Phila couldn't think that a girl such as Lissa, who had firmly denied all of the Captain's attempts of training her, would be all that physically strong. Along with her came Frederick, who nodded towards Phila when their eyes met. As for Lissa, she had found her way to her seat, to the other side of her sister, and sat with her arms crossed. "I can't believe you. Don't you think _we_ ," she pointed at herself and then at Emmeryn, "should have a say on who we should marry? If anything, Emm is the one that can decide who we" she pointed at herself again, and then at Chrom, "can marry. That's how this whole thing works, you know? Besides! I don't even know Robin that much!"

The prince sighed at her younger sister's words. "I know that very well. We talked about it because King Validar brought the topic of uniting our houses through marriage. Besides, I doubt Robin would marry you…"

"Hey!" Lissa slammed her hands on the table, standing up slightly. "Now you're just being mean!"

Emmery raised a hand to cover her mouth for a second. Phila could see that oldest of them was finding the banter of her siblings humorous. "Now, now. I'm sorry to say, Lissa, but I'm inclined to agree with Chrom," she confessed, earning her a gasp from the younger blonde. "You didn't make a very good impression on him when you decided to cover him in honey."

"Ukk!" Lissa sat back down, suddenly trying to make herself look smaller on her chair. "Y-you heard about that? Hahaha… It was just a little, tinny, winny, bitty prank! And he didn't look like he cared too much about it."

"There is no soul in here that hasn't heard about it or that saw it happen first hand, Lady Lissa," said Phila. Once more, Lissa tried to make herself look smaller. She lowered her head, either out of shame for what she had done or—knowing her—for being caught. "More than that, it also caused the people to speculate about the kind of relationship Lord Robin has with Lady Panne after she… _Cleaned_ him would be the best way to put it, I suppose."

"That was kinda funny, actually. When his face did that rubbery thing, it was hilarious! It was totally worth it just to see that."

"My, Lissa, this is the second time you've mentioned Robin having a "rubbery face". Could it be that you are legitimately attracted to him?" Emmeryn looked at Lissa with a mischievous smile that she would rarely use in public. With the rest of the guest entertaining themselves with food or chatting with each other, the table felt detached from the event. Perhaps it was because of this that Emmeryn had left her guard down, if only a slightest bit.

"Not you too, Emm! Ugh!"

The older blonde giggled at her sister's expression. The smile on the Exalt told Phila that she was satisfied with the successful teasing of her sister. Still, she was far from done, as she turned over to face her brother once more. "And Chrom. I would also appreciate it if you didn't try to find men to court me or Lissa behind our backs. I already have a hard time as it is without you playing a hand on it."

"Again, like I said, Robin wouldn't marry you," Chrom said, the statement sounding offhandedly. "King Validar told me that Robin is already bethroned. Even if he wanted to, he wouldn't get too far before he found out about it."

The revelation didn't have any effect on anyone except for the Lissa, who had suddenly sprung back to life at the sound of juicy gossip. "Ooooooh~ Robin is engaged and he doesn't even know it yet? Do tell, big brother~"

"Stop that."

"Stop what? Hm? Come on! Spill it, pal!"

"Milady, that's hardly the way you should be addressing your own brother," said Sir Frederick sternly. Phila felt sorry for the knight. Try as he may, Lissa and Chrom would only hear half of his advice, and even then it would be partially. Still, he never complained about it. Be it because of his pride or because he thought he was making progress, he always pressed the little matters on. "I could call Lady Maribelle over. I'm sure she would be able to show you how it's done."

"Nice try, Frederick," said the princess, smirking at the knight. "Maribelle is busy with Gaius right now. I doubt I could get those two apart from each other. They don't say it, but I _know_ they are hiding something from me."

She wasn't the only one. Phila raised an eyebrow at the name "Gaius". She had checked the list of guest daily weeks before the Summit took place. Not once had she come across that name before. The chances of her overlooking such a thing were null. But then, if the man knew of Lady Maribelle personally, he had to be part of some noble house or another… Or maybe he had blackmailed her into getting him in there. Phila would not stand for that, if that was indeed true. She made a mental note to check up on this Gaius character when she got a chance. She wanted to ask about him, but before she could, the conversation moved on.

"I have to say, though I do find the idea of you marrying princess Aversa humorous, it is something you should consider." Everyone turned to look at the Exalt, not believing what she had just said. Was she attempting to play matchmaker? It didn't surprise Phila that Emmeryn wouldn't be subtle about it. In the past, the Exalt had tried to find a partner for Phila, but that ended quickly when Phila found out about it—all in less than a day.

"You've come of age now, Chrom," Emmeryn continued. "You should be thinking about marriage and having kids. The saying is that the more you put it off, the harder it will be to find a wife. Princess Aversa is a very beautiful lady. She is tall, has long legs, beautiful hair, and has ideal hips for childbirth. I don't doubt your ability as a man, but if you would like me to talk to King Validar-"

"Stop! Stop!" Chrom cringed the longer he heard his sister trying to convince him of going with Validar's plan. "I don't know what I find more disturbing, the strange compliments you gave Aversa, or you trying to set me up with someone when you haven't found someone yourself."

"I am too busy managing the Halidom to think of my own love life. I am in no hurry to find love either. I know that if Naga has it in store for me, it will eventually happen. And should I not be able to keep leading our people, I know that there is still you that can take up the task."

The conversation continued until the first dish had been served. At that time, one of the Royal Guards approached Phila, asking to have a word with her. She asked both Frederick and Cordelia to look after Emmeryn in her absence, in case she was needed for more than a few minutes. The guard guided her to a remote corner of the hall, where the two could have some privacy. He glanced around nervously, as if checking to see that no one would truly hear what he had to say. Though she had a lot of patience, Phila didn't have the time to spare on waiting around. She would take the opportunity to check up on the other Pegasus Knights and, if time allowed, check up on who Gaius was.

"Tell me what's on your mind," said Phila in a calm voice, trying to sound soothing enough to have the guard act less nervously.

"Sire, we have a problem," the man reported, tensing up. "Lady Olivia, granddaughter to Khan Basilio, has informed us that some of her property has gone missing." Phila remained calm. She had suspected that the whole pastry debacle had to be a cover for something more sinister. "She told us it was a piece she was carrying when she first arrived at the palace. This leads us to believe that, if it was stolen, someone could have infiltrated the Summit."

There was only one name that came to Phila then. And the name was Gaius.

* * *

And the plot thickens! I've been trying to get Olivia in somewhere, but had been having a hard time finding a good place. At first I thought about bringing her in on Panne II, but it didn't fit in too well with everything that was going on. This chapter is going to help me to set things up a little more.

I'm thinking there will be one or two more chapters before I skip to the next day. Depends on what ideas I get between here and then. I also want to try and get more chapters of this out sooner. I find that I can write half of the chapter really quick, but then get distracted and I kinda forget about them. We'll see how it goes. Since the chapters are short, I think I could get the next one out by next week. We'll see.

On to reviews!

 **potatoman098** -That equation couldn't be more correct. That was one of the main reasons I wanted to give her a perspective, hehe. Virion is just being Virion. He doesn't know what he is getting himself into half of the time. Having characters interactions outside of what you would expect is a lot of fun, but very challenging to make it seem natural. So far One of my goals is to have every character appear at least once, even if they are just mentioned, in each perspective. It'll be though, considering just how many characters there are (that's not including future children), but I really want to give it a try. As for the POV changes, yes, they are intentional. Because the chapters are a lot shorter, I try to leave something in there that will have people curious about what will happen without it being a cliffhanger necessarily. In short stories, it's best to start of mid-action, but when it is a series, I like it best when things are cut off before things come to a conclusion. IDK, I'm weird.

 **Being cheesy** -Thank you very much! I hope you are happy with this one :D If I can put on my writer pants on, maybe I'll be able to get more chapters out sooner .

 **EVmeatdrummer98** -Glad you liked it! I tried to get Robin to look cool, but you jsut can't have him being super cool all the time, am I right? Lissa and Aversa come real handy for that lol Poor Panne. It's hard enough for her being the only taguel there, but she does find herself being the center of attention for other reasons. But it's that exactly that makes for funny scenes, I say. Hahaha, yeah, Robin hasn't had a big interaction with a lot of ladies on "screen". That's one of the things that happen when he is a main character that doesn't get a POV. I do agree that I like the idea of having Panne and Robin be together. I really like that pairing. But it can't be that easy for them, especially with the whole "Robin is engaged" thing going on! Don't worry about it being a long review. I love long reviews. Makes me feel like people actually care and are invested in the story.

 **Guest(Cn7-Nov23)** -Could be because I changed the summary when I posted that chapter. That or giving Robin a spot on the characters list. I'm just glad you found it interesting and are liking it so far!

 **EquinoxWolf** -That is very true, and it makes me sad. There are a few older stories that looked promising, but then they never got updated...Sigh. I'm going to highfive myself for having the characters be reasonably in character *high-fives* Yeah!


	9. Olivia I

_Olivia I_

Oh, how embarrassing! From all the days to screw up, she had to do it now. How could she be so careless? To lose something so precious and not noticing until someone else pointed it out to her, how shameful! And then it took Lady Tiki some time to convince the dancer that she had to report the loss if she wanted to get it back soon. But while she appreciated the help of the palace's guard and Pegasus Knights in keeping an eye out for her possessions, she felt that she was being a bother to them. They all had their own jobs to carry out, after all. To look for something so small in a room full of people was an impossible task for anyone. And even with their help, she was losing hope by the second that she would get it back. Without noticing, she let out a long-winded sigh, much of her hopes leaving her with that breath.

"Everything will turn out well, Lady Olivia," said Lady Tiki's bodyguard and princess of Chon'sin, Lady Say'ri with utmost confidence. "I'm sure the other guests will be informed about what happened and will keep an eye out for-"

"No!" Olivia cut her off, slamming her palms on the table a little too hard as she stood up, her action so abrupt that it left the others confused as to how to react. As she noticed this, the pink-haired girl's cheeks felt like they were on fire. Like butter that's left out in the heat, she melted down to her seat, plopping herself in such a way to make herself look smaller than she already was. "I'm sorry, Lady Say'ri… I didn't mean to snap at you like that. I know you were trying to be nice… It's just… I don't want grandfather to find out that I lost it. If more people know about it, he'll find out for sure, and then…!"

"We understand your concern, Olivia," said the divine dragon that sat to the right of Lady Say'ri. Lady Tiki, from the short time Olivia had known her, had a way to calm down anyone with her presence alone. She carried herself with such confidence that would instantly demand respect, but at the same time, she was a motherly type, giving off the warmth of someone with years of experience on her back. No that her face showed her age. By humans standards, she looked to be in her early twenties. "We made sure to tell the guards not to let any guest know what was lost and who it belonged to. You shouldn't worry yourself about your grandfather finding out. Instead, how about asking for people you personally know for help? We can all search for it together."

It wasn't a bad idea, Olivia would admit. If only a few people that knew her better helped her search, then she would be able to find it faster and perhaps she wouldn't feel as nervous going around the room, trying to approach strangers to take a look at the spot they stood. But then, there was an obvious problem with that plan, which she was quick to point out.

"B-But I don't really know anyone here besides grandfather…" she said, her voice trailing off as she looked dejectedly to her side, biting down on her lower lip. "We brought people with us, but they stayed behind on different taverns around Ylisstol. I don't think I can ask them for help…"

"Fie! That simply isn't true, milady," Say'ri interjected. Though her tone was calm and collected, Olivia was still startled by her sudden response, jumping in her chair slightly. "There is also the Reigning Khan, who I'm sure you know for some time, yes? Mayhaps we could enlist her help. She seems to me as a trustworthy individual. From our talk with her, she also seems to be an approachable person. If you were to ask, I'm sure she would help."

Thinking back on it, Olivia felt horrible to have forgotten about Flavia so easily. The blonde had always been nice to Olivia. Despite the strange relationship she held with her grandfather—both of them trading insult after insult—she treated the dancer like family, always asking about how her dancing had progressed or if her grandfather was treating her right. The dancer had always admired Flavia, as she was yet another confident and immensely strong woman… She just wished that an ounce of confidence from the khan would rub off on her.

Olivia nodded her head in agreement, which brought a small smile to the lips of the other two women.

"Very well, we are making some progress," said Lady Tiki happily. "I can only think of one more candidate, that being Prince Robin and his party. From what I saw when you two talked earlier, it seems like you two know each other and get along well."

Once again, Lady Tiki was right. Though she had met Robin relatively recently, he had been both friendly and patient with her before and after the tournament. The man that came with Robin that time, Gregor, had also come with Robin to the Summit. The man was more intimidating than Robin was, but Olivia couldn't deny that the mercenary was a kind man at heart too. Perhaps including them wouldn't be such a bad idea. Besides, if they were on even better terms, then there was the possibility that Robin would be the champion for their side come the next tournament.

"I'm still unsure whether Prince Robin will give us a hand on this or not, though," said the dancer, looking disheartened. "I mean, I can't go up to him and just ask for his help… He must be busy with everything, and… and…"

Tiki smiled at the much younger girl, resting her hand on top of Olivia's to calm her down. "Let Say'ri and I take care of Prince Robin, dear. As it happens, he asked for our help earlier today. It is only fair that we ask for something in return." Say'ri nodded in agreement. "Then we should get moving. Lady Olivia, you should be the one speaking with Khan Flavia. We can all meet back here once we get them and you can explain the situation to everyone. How does that sound?"

Olivia finally relented, saying, "y-yes, that would be for the best…" _I wish I could be so confident_.

"We better hurry then. Now that the meal is done with and the Exalt has given her final words, some of the guests will be retiring for the night."

Olivia had been so worried about everything that had happened to her that she hadn't noticed at all that some of the guests had been leaving for some time now. She couldn't remember much of the meal, in fact. Leaving to find a place to stay was something that she wouldn't have to worry herself over too much, considering that she was a special guest along with Lady Tiki and Princess Say'ri and many others. Such guests were receiving accommodations for their stay in the palace . The Pegasus Knight that received them would show them to their rooms their baggage was taken to. It was just a matter of waiting for the knight Sumia to come. It was while she was thinking this that she failed to notice (again) Tiki and Say'ri heading towards Robin's table. Only when she finally noticed did Olivia stand up to look for Khan Flavia.

 _But how am I supposed to get Flavia away from Grandfather?_ It was true that the two khans got along like cats and dogs, but that was as much good as it was bad. During celebrations, they would stick together mainly because, like with anything else, their competitive spirit made everything into a duel. And when alcohol was involved, this mainly revolved around who could drink more. This left Olivia in an uncomfortable situation, where no matter whether her grandfather won or lost, she would lose because she would need to take an inebriated man that weighed at least three times her weight to his bed.

She shook the thought from her head by slapping her cheeks, leaving them a little pink, not that anyone would notice that was the cause with her blush coming and going so often. Lady Tiki and Lady Say'ri had already taken Lord Robin aside to speak with him in private. Olivia couldn't fall behind, especially if she was the one to explain everything to the others. Picking up her pace, she fast approached the Reigning Khan. Her Grandfather was not sitting at the table for the moment—he was talking with King Validar some distance away—so it was the perfect opportunity. But as she got closer and closer to the woman with sun-kissed skin, she felt her nervousness come back to her. _Come on, Olivia. You can do this!_

She came to a stop to Flavia's right, who was enjoying another mug of the local mead. She could feel her throat going dry, suddenly wishing she could have her own mead, not only to quench her parched throat, but also to get the liquid courage she needed...if she hadn't inherited her grandfather's alcohol tolerance. She fidgeted, trying hard to think of a way to get the khan's attention. Taking in a deep breath, she was ready. All she had to do was call out to her and then-

"Olivia?" While in preparation, Flavia had turned to face her, likely detecting her presence there for too long for her to be passing by. "What are you doing standing there? Come on! Sit with me and have a drink!" The blonde patted the seat that was meant for her Grandfather, which Olivia took hesitantly, but ultimately thanked Flavia before being trusted with a mug of mead. Where Flavia had gotten it from was a mystery to the pinkette. "That's the spirit! Cheers!"

The two lifted their mugs—Olivia using both of her hands and Flavia only one—and toasted. Olivia brought the mug down after drinking some of it's contents and followed with a sigh. She was meant to bring Flavia back with her, not sit there and have a drink! The others would be waiting for her. She felt guilty enough as it was to ask for their help. Making them wait too long would be-

"Is something wrong, Olivia?" Flavia asked as she leaned in closer to the younger girl. "You look troubled… More troubled than usual. Were you looking for the oaf? He went to speak with Prince Chrom to convince him to fight for him next year in the tournament. He's probably thinking that it'll take the prince of Ylisse to take down the prince of Plegia. I'm looking forward to the fight, if it comes to that. Robin may not have the skills with the blade that many others do, but he compensates with it in other areas…" She winked at the dancer, who blushed madly and started stuttering so much that she couldn't get a word out.

Never had she imagine that Flavia would have... _that_ kind of a relationship with Lord Robin! Grandfather had always told her that many men had offered companionship to Flavia, but that she was too hot headed for anyone to handle, so she stayed by herself. Could Lord Robin really be able to handle the khan?

Flavia had a hard laugh, almost to the point of tearing up. She placed a hand on the dancer's slim shoulder and smiled. "I'm messing with you, Olivia. I meant he makes up for it with his magic and, more importantly, his mind."

Of _course_ she was playing around! How silly. It was a nice joke, but her heart wasn't one to take jokes like that. She was only thankful that Lord Robin wasn't there too. She wouldn't be able to face him again otherwise.

"Speaking of minds," Flavia continued. "Something's one yours. Out with it. Don't tell me you got your eyes on some fancy-pansy guy here…"

"Wha- N-no, it's nothing like that!" Olivia felt her cheeks heating up again. She had been so nervous with everything that had happened that she didn't have time to look at anyone- Wait, no, that wasn't it! She wouldn't go looking for a man like that even if everything was okay! Once Flavia laughed again, Olivia knew just why she had said it. "Honestly, Flavia. My heart can only stand so much…"

"Haha! I'm sorry. I can't get enough of your reactions. So, tell me. If you weren't here looking for the oaf, you came here for me, yes? What's on your mind?"

"Well, I… I lost something…"

"You lost something? You should talk with the guards then. They'll keep an eye open for it. Unless it's something that you can't get back..."

"No, it's nothing like that… I talked with some of the guards already, but I thought...maybe… I can explain things better in a second, but I wanted to ask for your help…please."

Flavia raised an eyebrow. For a moment Olivia wasn't sure if the khan would lend her a hand. Though they got along, she knew that Flavia would be very busy with everything that was going on during the Summit, being the voice of Ferox during the actual meetings. She probably wouldn't have time to help, but the very least the pinkette could do after all Lady Tiki and Lady Say'ri had done to help her, this was the least she could do, even if it was really to help herself.

"That settles it then," said Flavia as she smiled. "I'll lend you a hand. Both, if need be! If this helps me get out of meetings, I'll help even more!"

"You don't have to go that far!" Though she said that, Olivia was happy to hear that Flavia was so willing to help.

"No, I _insist_."

With Flavia on board, Olivia guided her over to a more desolated area, specifically, the spot where Lady Tiki, Lady Say'ri, Lord Robin, and the mercenary, Gregor, were all waiting. It seemed that they were exchanging a few words, but as soon as they noticed Olivia and Flavia approaching, they stop their conversation to face them instead.

"You got roped into this too, Robin?" Flavia asked as she half grinned at the Plegian, who scratched the back of his head and chuckled.

"Well, something like that," he admitted, but quickly back tracked when he noticed Olivia looking at the ground. "Not that it was necessary! I am truly honored to hear you trust me this much, Olivia. I promise to give it my all… Though I'm not sure what I'm supposed to give my all in."

"We wanted to get everyone together before going into detail," said Lady Tiki."Lady Olivia, if you could."

Olivia nodded and went on to explain the events that transpired. Some time between her arrival to just before dinner was served, she noticed that _something_ was missing. How she hadn't noticed it before was beyond her, being something so important. Out of embarrassment, she didn't want to make a fuss about it, especially when everyone else seemed to be having a good time, but she was still worried about finding it.

"This thing you speak of is pretty ring, yes?" Gregor asked as he rubbed his chin and leaned forward to take a closer look at the dancer. "Gregor remember seeing big ring on ringer before. Gregor thinks _pretty ring on pretty lady_. This be engagement ring?"

Olivia blushed madly, shaking her head rapidly. "N-No- Well, yes, but no! I-It _is_ an engagement ring, but it's wasn't given to me like that…"

"...The oaf's?" Flavia asked.

"Yes… That was the ring that Grandfather gave my grandmother. Later on, Grandmother gave it to my father so that he could propose to my mother… And before she passed, my mother gave it to me… It's a very important and dear piece to me… I should have noticed sooner! When I did, I was too worried about how Grandfather would react that I froze. I didn't want him to get mad, or sad, or be disappointed in me" The pinkette's eyes began to sting as she sniffled.

"I see. I understand now why you would try to keep this low key," Lord Robin said as he nodded and gave her a sympathetic smile. "I think I speak for all of us when I say that we will do all we can to help you find it and keep Basilio from learning about what happened to the ring."

"Agreed," Flavia added. "The oaf might be an idiot, but gods know how he would react to something like this. Keeping him from learning about this should be easy. The hard part is finding the darn thing. There are so many people around, and even if we continue the search the next morning, the peace talks are starting early in the day."

 _I forgot about that!_ Olivia looked down in embarrassment. The whole reason for coming to Ylisse was for the peace talks that would be taking place for the whole duration of the event. That would complicate the search, as their numbers would be cut. "I-I'm sorry… I should have realized…"

Lady Say'ri put a hand on the dancer's shoulders. "Fie, no need to apologize, milady. There are some of us that can continue the search. Bodyguards nor retainers will be allowed during the meetings. That leaves me and Ser Gregor to offer you our assistance."

"Unfortunately, I can't miss this first meeting," Flavia confessed with a sigh. "As Reigning Khan, it is my duty to be there. That oaf must be laughing his ass off now that he gets to lay back and relax while I deal with all this bureaucracy…"

"Gregor be doing the distracting of Basilio," said the mercenary. "Basilio and Gregor know each other from long time. Gregor knows weaknesses of kahn! Ha!"

"I will also be engaged during the meetings," said the manakete. "I promise to look for you all once the meeting is over."

Already their numbers would be cut in half. It was to be expected. She was still glad that at least Gregor and Lady Say'ri would be able to help her in the search, but she wished that they had a few more hands on their side. "You will be there too, won't you Lord Robin?"

To the pinkette's surprise, the prince shook his head. "Only representatives are allowed. My father is the one that will take the seat for Plegia. Panne and Nowi will be seated too, as they represent the interests of their species, even if most part of them are in Plegia. As for me, I'm free to roam around for some time. Don't tell Panne or Nowi about that, though. I had a hard time convincing them to accept the sits. If they find out I won't be there before the talks start, I won't hear the end of it."

Instantly Olivia cheered up. Four out of six wasn't that bad. She was glad she'd followed Lady Tiki's and Lady Say'ri's advice after all, not to mention that Royal Guard and the Pegasus Knights would also continued searching for the ring.

"I must remind you all of something else," Lord Robin continued. "The Ylissean Guild Masters will be arriving tomorrow as well. There will be a second banquet equal or greater in size than this one. We must make sure to find the ring or at the very least some clues as to what happened to it before then. We should prioritize the search in the morning and asking questions to the other guests during the banquet."

"Tactics to find a ring?" Flavia grinned. "You never get tired to such things, do you, Robin? You must enjoy it."

"I don't know about that…"

Happy to see that she would receive the help of these people—no, her _new_ friends, Olivia finally smiled. She quickly bowed to them all, catching their attention. "I really, really, _really_ want to thank you all for this," she said. "I don't know if I'll ever be able to repay all of you, but I will give it my all."

"'Tis nothing, milady," said Lady Say'ri. "For now, let us concentrate on the search. Once we find the ring, you can worry about anything else."


End file.
